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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS, 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

CHAMPAIGN,  FEBRUARY,  1891. 


BULLETIN  NO.  13. 


FIELD  EXPERIMENTS  WITH  CORN,  1890. 

This  article  gives  the  results  of  the  experiments  with  field  corn  in 
1890,  together  with  a  summary  of  the  results  obtained  in  the  same  experi- 
ments in  1888  and  188.9.  The  following  are  reported: 

No.  i.  Test  of  varieties.  No.  3.  Time  of  planting. 

No.  4.  Depth  of  planting.  No.  5.  Thickness  of  planting. 

No.  6.  Planting  in  hills  or  drills.  No.  8.  Frequency  of  cultivation. 

No.  9.  Depth  of  cultivation.        No.  10.  Effect  of  root  pruning. 

No.  54.  Root  growth.  No.  n.  Effect  of  fertilizers. 

No.  23.  Rotations  of  corn,  oats,  and  meadow,  and  of  corn  and  oats 
compared  with  continuous  cropping  with  corn. 

These  experiments  were  made  on  a  black  loam  about  20  in.  deep, 
underlaid  with  yellow  clay — the  soil  common  to  the  prairies  of  central 
Illinois.  Apparently  the  plats  were  notably  uniform,  and  admirably 
adapted  to  field  experimentation. 

Judged  by  the  results,  1888  was  unusually  favorable  for  the  corn 
crop;  1889  much  less  favorable,  and  1890  still  less  than  1889.  The  yield 
of  air-dry  corn  per  acre  from  the  medium  maturing  varieties  for  the  three 
years  was  90,  75,  and  62  bu.  respectively. 

In  1889,  the  rainfall  was  unfavorably  distributed,  and  the  tempera- 
ture was  below  normal;  in  1890,  the  rainfall  was  very  deficient,  but  the 
temperature  was  more  propitious  during  the  corn  months. 

The  aim  is  to  state  simply  what  the  results  have  been;  still  it  is 
believed  that,  with  due  regard  for  the  circumstances,  the  average  of  the 
three  years'  results  makes  it  possible  to  predict  with  some  probability 
what  will  be. 


390  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  {February 

Among  the  many  varieties  of  dent  corn  tried  one  or  more  years, 
twelve  have  been  tested  in  1888,  1889,  and  1890,  and  each  has  averaged 
67  bu.  per  acre  or  more,  the  largest  average  yield  being  80  bu.  Of 
the  yellow  varieties,  Learning,  Fisk,  legal  tender,  Clark's  Iroquois,  and 
Riley's  favo*rite  are  medium  maturing,  and  will  be  found  desirable  for 
central  Illinois.  Steward's  improved  is  too  late  for  this  locality.  Mur- 
dock  and  Edmonds  are  early  maturing,  and  may  be  grown  farther  north. 
Of  white  varieties,  Champion  white  pearl  or  Burr's  white,  and  Clark's 
no-day  are  medium  maturing  and  desirable  for  central  Illinois.  Helms 
improved  is  almost  too  late  for  this  locality. 

The  stand  of  corn  has  been  about  10  per  cent,  less  than  the  per  cent, 
of  kernels  sprouting  under  test  conditions. 

Barrenness  does  not  seem  to  be  a  variety  characteristic,  but  depends 
largely  upon  the  season  and  the  thickness  of  planting.  The  stalks  had 
many  more  ears  in  1889  than  in  1888  and  1890.  There  were  fewer  bar- 
ren stalks  where  corn  was  planted  at  the  ordinary  rate  of  12,000  kernels 
per  acre  than  at  either  thicker  or  thinner  planting.  When  four  times  as 
many  kernels  were  planted,  one-half  the  stalks  were  barren. 

Without  exception  the  medium  maturing  varieties  (maturing  about 
September  2oth)  have  given  each  year  a  higher  average  yield  than  either 
the  early  or  late  maturing  varieties — from  7  to  20  bu.  higher  than  the 
former,  and  from  2  to  7  bu.  higher  than  the  latter. 

The  per  cent,  of  water  in  the  kernel  of  the  corn  when  husked  varies 
with  the  variety  and  with  the  season.  During  the  three  years,  the  early 
maturing  varieties  have  contained  an  average  of  17.1  per  cent,  of  water; 
the  medium  maturing,  21.3  per  cent;  and  the  late  maturing,  26.4  per 
cent.  (Thoroughly  air-dry  corn  contains  about  1 1  per  cent,  of  water.) 
Taking  an  average  of  the  three  seasons,  the  loss  in  weight  of  shelled  corn 
from  November  ist  when  the  crop  was  gathered  until  it  became  thor- 
oughly air-dry  was  for  the  medium  maturing  varieties,  at  the  rate  of  115 
bu.  in  1,000  bu.  The  loss  from  drying  in  1890,  was  only  about  half  that 
of  1888  and  1889.  Seventy-five  Ib.  of  ear  corn  were  ample  to  give  for  a 
bushel  of  corn  on  November  i,  1890;  but  in  1889,  80  Ib.  were  not  suffi- 
cient. 

Good  crops  of  corn  were  raised  from  a  medium  maturing  variety 
when  planted  at  any  time  during  May.  Planting  in  the  last  week  of  April 
gave  somewhat  poorer  results,  and  the  land  uniformly  required  more  cul- 
tivation to  keep  it  equally  free  from  weeds.  When  the  corn  was  planted 
after  the  first  of  June,  the  yield  was  somewhat  less  and  the  corn  did  not 
always  mature. 

While  during  no  season  was  there  any  direct  relationship  between 
the  depth  of  planting  and  the  yield,  taking  an  average  of  the  three  sea- 
sons, the  shallower  planted  rows  gave  the  larger  yield.  It  was  found  that, 
not  counting  the  roots  directly  at  the  seed,  which  afterwards  die,  the  first 
whorl  of  roots  starts  at  from  one  to  two  in.  from  the  surface,  without 
reference  to  the  depth  at  which  the  kernel  has  been  planted. 


1891-]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,   1890.  39! 

Corn  planted  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  12  in.  in  rows  3  ft.  8  in. 
apart,  about  12,000  kernels  per  acre,  gave  a  larger  average  yield  of  corn 
and  a  larger  yield  of  good  ears;  contained  more  corn  in  proportion  to 
stalk  by  weight,  and  a  larger  proportion  of  ears  to  number  of  stalks,  than 
when  planted  either  thicker  or  thinner.  The  thinner  the  planting  the 
larger  were  the  single  ears  and  stalks. 

If  the  average  of  the  three  years  be  taken,  the  yield  of  corn-fodder 
(corn  and  stalks)  and  corn-stover  (corn- fodder  after  the  corn  has  been 
husked)  decreased  constantly  from  the  thickest  to  the  thinnest  plantings. 
Planting  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  3  in.,  47,520  per  acre,  gave  a 
little  larger  yield  of  dry  matter  and  of  digestible  substance,  than  planting 
at  twice  that  distance;  but  the  yield  of  grain  from  the  latter  planting  was 
so  much  better  that  it  is  believed  the  nutritive  value  of  the  crop  for  fod- 
der purposes  was  greater  where  planted  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every 
6  in.,  about  24,000  kernels  per  acre.  The  average  yield  of  field -cured 
corn-fodder  from  the  five  thicknesses  of  planting  (one  kernel  every  3  in. 
to  one  kernel  every  15  in.)  during  the  three  years,  was  nearly  6  tons  per 
acre.  Neither  for  fodder  purposes,  nor  for  the  production  of  grain 
merely,  was  there  any  material  difference  in  the  yield  whether  one,  two, 
three,  four,  or  five  kernels  were  planted  per  hill,  the  whole  number  of 
kernels  planted  per  acre  remaining  the  same,  provided  the  land  was  kept 
.equally  clean. 

In  1890,  where  the  corn  was  planted  in  both  hills  and  drills,  and 
:given  an  equal  amount  of  cultivation,  which  kept  the  corn  in  hills  cleaner 
^than  the  corn  in  drills,  the  result  was  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  corn  in 
/hills.  In  1888,  there  was  no  practical  difference. 

During  the  three  years,  no  appreciable  benefit  was  derived  from  fre- 
.quent  cultivation,  nor  from  cultivating  after  the  ordinary  time. 

For  the  three  years,  the  yield  of  corn  has  been  increased  by  the  shal- 
llow  cultivation,  one-tenth  over  the  deep  cultivation.  The  least  increase 
in  any  one  season  was  a  little  less  than  one-twelfth  in  1890,  and  the  great- 
est increase,  one-eighth  in  1889.  In  but  one  case  in  the  three  years  did 
a  deep  cultivated  plat  yield  more  than  a  shallow  cultivated  plat.  The  plat 
-which  had  no  cultivation  after  planting,  except  that  the  weeds  were 
removed  by  scraping  with  a  sharp  hoe,  yielded  more  each  season  than 
.the  average  of  the  deep  cultivated  plats;  and  in  but  two  instances,  once 
,in  1889  and  once  in  1890,  did  any  one  of  the  deep  cultivated  plats  yield 
,more  than  the  plat  not  cultivated.  These  experiments  indicate  that  any 
.cultivation  of  the  soil  which  effectually  removes  the  weeds,  and  at  the 
.same  time. disturbs  the  roots  as  little  as  possible,  is  the  best;  and  that,  on 
this  soil,  the  stirring  of  the  ground  beyond  what  is  necessary  to  kill  the 
weeds  is  of  little,  if  any,  benefit.  Undoubtedly  it  is  better  to  disturb 
some  roots  than  to  allow  weeds  to  grow. 

Pruning  the  roots  of  corn  to  the  depth  of  4  in.,  6  in.  from  the  stalk, 
has  reduced  the  yield  16  and  23  per  cent,  in  1889  and  1890,  respectively. 
The  reason  that  root-pruning  reduced  the  yield  to  a  greater  extent  than 


39*  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February,. 

deep  cultivation,  is  probably,  that  the  root-pruning  was  done  on  all  four 
sides  of  the  hill  at  each  pruning.  The  depth  at  6  in.  from  the  plant  has 
been  determined  with  251  roots,  and  174  were  found  to  be  4  in.  or  less 
from  the  surface;  108,  3  in.  or  less  from  the  surface.  In  other  words,  a 
cultivator  running  4  in.  deep  would  disturb  about  70  per  cent,  of  the 
roots,  and  at  3  in.  about  43  per  cent.  Of  115  roots  on  four  plants  exam- 
ined June  2ist  and  28th,  the  end,  or  the  point  where  broken,  of  54  was 
12  or  more  in.  deep;  of  33  was  18  or  more  in.  deep;  and  of  17  was  24  or 
more  in.  deep. 

Twelve  trials  have  been  made  of  the  effect  upon  a  corn  crop  of 
fertilizers  when  applied  to  the  prairie  soil  of  Illinois.  No  practical  bene- 
fit was  obtained  from  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers.  The  increased 
yields  from  the  use  of  stable  manure  probably  repaid  the  cost  of  the 
application  and  left  some  profit;  but  clearly  the  value  of  stable  manure 
was  not  equal  to  the  estimates  often  made,  based  upon  the  cost  of  com- 
mercial fertilizers  containing  the  same  amount  of  plant  food. 

Good  crops  of  corn -have  been  raised  during  the  past  three  years 
from  land  which  has  now  been  in  corn  for  15  successive  years,  and  has 
received  no  manure  of  any  kind;  while  somewhat  better  crops  have  been 
raised  where  the  land  has  been  in  corn  but  one-third  the  time,  and  in, 
timothy  and  clover  one-half  the  time. 

Experiment  No.  /.     Corn,  Testing  Varieties. 

A  test  of  varieties  of  dent  corn  has  been  made  during  the  past  four 
years.  In  1887,  25  plats  were  planted;  in  1888,  176;  in  1889,  82;  and  in 
1890,  52.  The  aim  has  been  to  sift  out  those  varieties  which,  for  one 
reason  or  another,  did  not  promise  special  merit,  and  each  succeeding 
year  to  plant  only  those  of  special  or  standard  merit  for  comparison  with 
the  varieties  which  are  put  upon 'the  market  from  year  to  year.  In  case 
a  variety  had  been  especially  praised,  though  it  did  not  prove  of  merit 
here,  it  was  sometimes  grown  for  two  or  three  years.  Reports  of  the 
tests  made  in  1888  and  1889,  and  many  details  of  the  methods  employed,, 
are  given  in  bulletins  Nos.  4  and  8. 

The  land  used  this  season  was  tract  [b]  of  that  used  in  1888  and: 
1889.  The  tract  was  divided  into  56  plats,  each  2  rods,  9  hills,  square. 
Each  plat  was  so  planted  that  there  was  corn  growing  adjacent  on  every 
side.  The  land  was  plowed,  without  removing  the  stalks,  April  23  and 
24,  1890.  The  varieties  given  in  the  table  were  planted  May  isth,  the 
tract  having  been  previously  rolled  and  disked,  and  harrowed  twice.  In 
this,  as  in  all  these  experiments,  the  hills  were  3  ft.  8  in.  apart,  and  four 
kernels  were  planted  in  a  hill.  The  corn  was  covered  about  one  in.  deep 
with  a  hoe.  Between  May  29th  and  June  24th  the  tract  was  cultivated 
four  times  with  a  shallow  cultivator.  The  weeds  remaining  in  the  hills, 
were  removed  with  a  hoe  June  25th. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,  1890. 
DUPLICATE  PI.ATS. 


393 


In  order  to  interpret  intelligently  the  yields  of  the  different  varieties 
tested,  it  is  necessary  to  know  what  would  be  the  difference  in  yield  from 
given  plats  if  planted  with  the  same  variety  under  similar  conditions. 
Below  are  given  the  results  obtained  with  nine  varieties  from  two  or  more 
plats  each. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELD  PER  ACRE  OF  AIR-DRY  CORN  UPON  DUPLICATE  PLATS,  IN  1890. 


Variety. 

a 

b 

c 

d 

e 

Average 

Burr's  white                 

ci  .7 

71? 

6-1.6 

78.1 

7o 

68 

3     > 

72   6 

6?  .2 

7O  4 

6q 

Cali'orma  yellow  

•56  7 

<J2.6 

cc 

Clark's  Iroquois  ...        

*     ' 

6"?.  I 

54.8 

^Q 

Clarke  county  champion.  
Clark's  I  to-day   

61.4 
60.  i 

56.3 
?6.  i 





59 
68 

Helms  improved       

42   2 

60.  i 

CJ 

T"isk's  white         .        .. 

6d    I 

67  4, 

66 

Hickory  king  

5'  8 

53  7 

63 

56 

The  greatest  difference  in  yield  of  any  two  plats  of  the  29  planted  to 
medium  maturing  varieties  was  28.6  bu.  per  acre.  Two  plats  of  Burr's 
white  corn,  planted  similarly  and  in  every  way  cared  for  as  nearly  alike 
as  might  be,  yielded  78.1  and  51.7  bu.  per  acre,  respectively — a  difference 
of  26.4  bu.  per  acre.  The  largest  yield  of  air-dry  corn  from  any  one  of 
the  29  plats  planted  to  medium  maturing  corn  was  from  a  plat  planted 
with  Burr's  white  corn,  and  the  next  to  the  least  yield  of  any  one  of  the 
hree  plats  was  planted  to  the  same  variety  of  corn.  The  difference 
between  two  plats  of  Helms  improved  was  19.9  bu.;  between  two  plats 
of  Clark's  no-day,  16  bu.;  between  two  plats  of  Hickory  king,  11.2  bu.; 
between  two  plats  of  Clark's  Iroquois,  8.3  bu.,  and  so  on  down  the  list 
until  the  least  difference  between  any  two  plats  planted  to  the  same 
variety  was  1.9  bu. 

These  are  greater  differences  than  have  been  found  in  this  experi- 
ment in  former  years.  The  meaning  is  that  so  far  as  yields  from  indi- 
vidual plats  in  a  single  season  are  concerned,  the  results  are  inconclusive. 
But  a  great  deal  may  be  determined  in  regard  to  the  value  of  a  variety  of 
corn  in  other  ways  than  from  the  yield.  The  date  of  maturity,  height  of 
stalk,  and  of  ear,  shape  and  size  of  ear,  depth  of  kernel,  etc.,  are  all  of 
.importance,  and  should  aid  in  judging  of  the  value  of  a  variety. 

THE  WEATHER. 

Indian  corn  seems,  in  growing,  very  susceptible  to  climatic  condi- 
tions. A  comparison  of  results  during  a  series  of  years  should  include  a 
comparison  of  the  weather  during  the  growing  season  of  the  corn. 

The  following  table  gives  the  two  principal  meteorological  conditions, 
agriculturally  considered,  for  the  four  years  1887  to  1890,  inclusive.  Un- 
fortunately, a  strict  comparison  can  not  be  made  between  the  first  two  and 
the  last  two  years.  The  figures  for  the  first  two  years  were  taken  from  the 


394 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


[February, 


records  of  the  Illinois  Weather  Service  for  central  Illinois,  and  those  for 
the  last  two  years  from  the  Station  records.  The  Station  record  began 
August  16,  1888,  and  the  Illinois  Weather  Service  was  discontinued  at  the 
end  of  1888. 

TABLE  SHOWING  TEMPERATURE  AND  RAINFALL  DURING  THE  CORN  SEASON  OF  YEARS 

NAMED. 


Mean  temperature,  F. 

Year  

May. 

June. 

July. 

August. 

Septemb'r. 

Average. 

1887*  

67.9° 

59-4° 
59.2° 

58-3° 

73-6° 

7i-3° 
65-5° 
74-6° 

80.4° 
77° 

72.7° 
73° 

75-2° 
72.4° 
69.2° 
68.7° 

66.4° 
62.4° 
61.3° 
60.5° 

72.7° 
68  5° 
65  6C 
67° 

1888.   f  

1880.  *».. 

1800.   **  .  . 

Average,  1878-87.  * 

64.6° 

7i° 

77-5° 

74-6° 

66.5° 

70  8° 

Rainfall,  inches. 

Aggregate, 

1887.  *  . 

3  »4 
6.84 

5-52 
3-56 

1.62 

5-75 
6.81 
3-80 

1.65 

5-34 
5.84 
2.83 

2.56 

3'11 
o.oo 

i-93 

3-68 

i  95 
2.74 
1.19 

13  35 
23.02 
21.51 
13  3i 

1888.  f  

1889.  **  

1800.  *».. 

Average,  1878-87.  * 

4-45 

S-°4 

2-75 

3-45 

3-27 

18.96 

^Statistical  Report,  Illinois 
f  Monthly  Weather  Review 
**Station  record. 


State  Board  of  Agriculture,  December,  1887. 
of  Illinois  State  Weather  Service,  December, 


1888. 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  VARIETIES. 

On  the  next  page  is  a  classification  of  the  dent  varieties  tested  in  1890^ 
It  is  based  on  the  time  of  ripening,  color,  and  smoothness  or  roughness  of 
the  outer  end  of  the  kernels.  Varieties  maturing  on  or  before  September 
nth,  are  classed  as  early;  those  maturing  September  J2th  to  September 
22d,  as  medium;  and  those  maturing  September  23d  to  October  2d,  as  late. 
If  this  classification  were  based  on  the  results  for  the  three  or  four  years 
during  which  some  of  the  varieties  have  been  on  trial,  noteworthy  changes 
would  be  made  as  to  time  of  ripening.  Thus,  champion  white  pearl  would 
be  classed  as  medium,  and  Chester  county  mammoth  and  Steward's  im- 
proved, as  late,  or  non  maturing.  But  since  varieties  tested  here  in  1890 
for  the  first  time  are  included,  it  is  better  to  base  the  whole  classification 
on  the  results  for  that  season.  Some  varieties  are  not  uniform  as  to 
smoothness  or  roughness  of  the  kernels,  and  the  classification  in  this  re- 
spect of  a  few  varieties  might  be  changed  another  year.  The  yield  in 
bushels  of  air-dry  corn  per  acre  in  1890  is  also  given. 

RESULTS.* 

A  summary  of  the  results  obtained  from  the  varieties  on  74  plats  in 
1888,  on  67  in  1889,  and  on  51  in  1890,  is  given  in  table  on  page  404. 

There  has  been  from  four-fifths  to  seven-eighths  of  an  average  stand 
each  season,  with  seed  of  which  90  to  95  per  cent  sprouted  in  the  Geneva 

*In  the  tables  on  pp.  400-403,  are  given  in  detail  the  results  obtained  from  the  varieties  tested. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS   WITH    CORN,  1890. 


395 


TABLE  SHOWING  CLASSIFICATION  OF  VARIETIES  OF  DENT  CORN  AND  YIELD  PER  ACRE 

IN  BUSHELS,  1890. 

Yield. 

{  Murdock 6l  .6 

j  Profit 61 

f  Smooth .  -j  Clarage 55.1 

|  Munn's 62.7 

-f  Yellow  .   I  [Early  Butler 31.9 

(  Hathaway .  48 . 7 

[  Rough . .  •]  Queen  of  the  North 39  9 

rEarly        ^  (Edmonds ..    .   55.9 

r  c        t»,     j  Clarke  county  champion 58.9 

•    j  Champion  white  pearl 74.9 

|  Wisconsin  early. 49.9 

[Rough..  •<  Dawn 61.9 

(  Beard's  pearl 63 .4 

f  Learning 67.3 

|  Fisk   61.7 

Smooth .   -{  Legal  tender 60 

j  Clark's  Iroquois 5^-9 

[Big  Buckeye 52.6 

f  Yellow  .  ^  f  Ri]ey,s  fayorite 53  3 

Haber's  yellow 63 . 2 

California  yellow 54  6 

Rough . .   -{  Clark's  early  mastodon 58 .9 

Second  premium  yellow 64.3 

Chester  county  mammoth 49.5 

Medium    -j  [  Steward's  improved 54.7 

f  Burr's  white 67 . 7 

[  Clark's  I IO  day 68 . 1 

Mixed  . .  -{  Smooth  .  -{  Cranberry 67 . 4 

(  Golden  beauty 53 

Yellow..   -[Smooth.   1  Pride  of  Kansas 71.4 

(  Giant  beauty 55.5 

[Late.... 

'  White. . 


apparatus.  In  1888  and  1889,  there  were  more  stalks  when  the  corn  was 
ripe  than  after  the  corn  was  well  up  in  the  spring,  showing  that  there  had 
been  some  stooling.  In  1890,  there  were  fewer  stalks  in  the  fall  than  in 
the  spring. 

The  percentage  of  barren  stalks  depends  largely,  if  not  entirely,  upon 
the  conditions  of  growth  from  season  to  season.  With  medium  maturing 
varieties,  there  were  n  and  12  per  cent,  of  barren  stalks  in  1888  and  1890, 
respectively;  while  in  1889,  there  was  only  a  little  over  i  per  cent.  Bar- 
renness does  not  seem  to  be  a  variety  characteristic. 

The  height  of  stalks  and  the  height  of  ears  on  the  stalks  increase 
with  the  lateness  of  maturing.  The  same  varieties  vary  considerably  in 
height  in  different  seasons.  The  medium  maturing  varieties  averaged  11.5 
ft.  high  in  1888,  8.9  ft.  in  1889,  and  9.6  ft.  in  1890.  The  other  varieties 
varied  similarly. 


396  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  {February, 

In  general,  the  size  of  the  ears  has  increased  and  the  number  de- 
creased with  the  lateness  of  maturing. 

Without  exception,  the  medium  maturing  varieties  have  each  year 
given  a  higher  average  yield  than  either  the  early  or  late  maturing  varie- 
ties. The  average  yield  of  air-dry  corn  from  32  medium  maturing  varie- 
ties in  1888,  was  90  bu.;  from  42  in  1889,  75  bu.,  and  from  29  in  1890, 
62  bu.  The  yield  of  the  early  maturing  varieties  averaged  from  7  to  20 
bu.  less,  and  the  late  maturing  varieties  from  2  to  7  bu.  less. 

The  per  cent,  of  water  in  the  kernel  of  the  corn  when  husked  varies 
with  the  variety  and  with  the  season.  During  the  three  years  the  early 
maturing  varieties  have  contained  an  average  of  17.1  per  cent,  of  water; 
the  medium  maturing  varieties,  21.3  per  cent.;  and  the  late  maturing  vari- 
eties, 26.4;  while  during  two  years,  the  non-maturing  varieties  contained 
36.8  per  cent,  of  water. 

In  1890,  the  corn  was  considerably  drier  than  in  1888  or  1889.  The 
total  rainfall  for  August,  September,  and  October  was  9.99  in.  in  1889, 
while  in  the  same  months  in  1890  it  was  only  5.47  in.  In  1888,  32  medium 
maturing  varieties  contained  an  average  of  21.8  per  cent,  of  water; 
in  1889,  42  medium  maturing  varieties  contained  23.8  percent.;  in  1890, 
29  medium  maturing  varieties  contained  18.4  per  cent,  only  of  water.  The 
percentage  of  water  the  corn  contains  when  husked  affects,  of  course, 
the  loss  that  will  be  sustained  by  drying,  and  also  affects  largely  the  num- 
ber of  pounds  of  ear  corn  required  to  make  a  bushel  of  air-dry  shelled 
corn. 

It  has  been  found  that  corn  stored  in  a  crib  for  a  year,  will  contain 
about  ii  per  cent,  of  water.  {Bulletin  No.  4,  p.  44.)  In  order  to  obtain 
the  yield  of  dry  corn  from  the  several  varieties  on  an  equal  basis,  the 
yield  of  corn  containing  1 1  per  cent,  of  water  is  calculated.  Subtracting 
this  yield  from  the  yield  of  shelled  corn,  as  husked,  gives  the  loss  from 
drying.  In  1888  and  1889,  the  loss  of  the  medium  maturing  varieties  was 
12  and  13  bu.  per  acre,  respectively;  while  in  1890,  the  loss  was  less  than 
6  bu.  per  acre.  In  1888  and  1889,  the  loss  from  the  late  maturing  varie- 
ties was  each  season,  between  18  and  19  bu.  per  acre.  In  1890  it  was  9 
bu.  per  acre  from  these  varieties.  With  the  early  maturing  varieties  the 
difference  was  not  so  large.  The  loss  in  1888  was  7  bu.,  in  1889  and  also 
in  1890,  3.7  bu.  per  acre.  As  there  were  only  three  early  maturing  varie- 
ties in  1889,  it  is  a  fair  statement  to  say  that  the  loss  from  drying  in  1890 
by  these  three  classes  of  varieties  was  only  half  as  great  as  in  1888  and 
1889. 

Taking  an  average  of  the  three  seasons,  the  loss  in  weight  of  the 
shelled  corn  from  the  time  the  crop  was  gathered  until  it  became  thor- 
oughly air-dry  was  at  the  rate  of  115  bu.  in  1,000  bu.  of  the  medium  ma- 
turing varieties.  Each  season  the  corn  has  been  husked  and  weighed  dur- 
ing the  last  week  of  October  and  the  first  week  of  November.  To  make 
a  bushel  of  thoroughly  air-dry  corn,  it  took,  when  the  crop  was  husked  in 
1890,  70  pounds  of  ear  corn  in  the  early  maturing  varieties,  73  pounds 


i89r.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,  1890. 


397 


in  the  medium  maturing,  and  78  in  the  late  maturing.  The  medium 
maturing  varieties  required  5  pounds  more  of  ear  corn  in  1888,  and  8 
pounds  more  in  1889  to  make  a  bushel  of  air-dry  corn  than  in  1890,  and 
the  late  maturing  varieties  required  10  and  12  pounds  more,  respectively, 
than  in  1890.  75  pounds  of  ear  corn  were  ample,  November  i,  1890,  to 
give  for  a  bushel  of  corn,  while  in  1889,  80  pounds  were  not  sufficient. 

Eight  varieties  of  corn  have  been  tested  continuously  during  the  past 
four  years;  15  have  been  tested  during  the  three  years,  1887,  1888,  and 
1889,  and  12  have  been  tested  during  three  years  1888,  1889,  and  1890. 
The  table  below  gives  the  yield  for  the  several  years  as  specified  in  the 
order  of  their  largest  average  yield.  It  will  be  seen  that  almost  any  one 
of  these  varieties  has  given  large  enough  average  yields  to  commend  it 
to  the  corn  raiser. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELD  OF  AIR-DRY  CORN  OF  VARIETIES  TESTED,  FOR  THE  YEARS 
NAMED.     [Seed  from  original  sources  each  season.] 


Eight  varieties  tested  in  —                    1887. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Average. 

Learning          ,            ....         ..                          29  6 

86  6 

80  6 

60    A. 

67 

Burr's  white   300 

815.0. 

7C    7 

6?  7 

6c 

Champion  white  pearl  ...      20.2 

7o. 

Q4.  8 

74.    O 

65 

Steward's  improved  yellow  32  4 

QI.2 

68.7 

C4.  7 

62 

Murdock  33  3 

80.1 

65 

61  6 

60 

Legal  tender  25  8 

84  2 

68  Q 

60 

60 

Edmonds  27.7 

83  7 

66  7 

CC    Q 

«;8 

Riley's  favorite   30.8 

81.1 

66.1 

53-3 

1 

Fifteen  varieties  tested  in  — 

1887. 

1888. 

1889 

Average. 

Learning  

2Q.6 

86  6 

80  6 

66 

Champaign  

7.  4..  2 

82  i 

78   2 

6c 

Steward's  improved  yellow  

•12  .4. 

91    2 

68  7 

64. 

Burr's  white  ,  

•JO 

8c.  o 

7C.   7 

64 

20.  2 

70 

OA.    8 

62 

Smii  h's  premium  dent  

7.O.2 

oo  o 

94.0 

62   2 

61 

Legal  tender.  ...'  

2<    8 

84   2 

68  9 

60 

7,7.7. 

80   7 

65 

60 

30  8 

8f  i 

66  i 

CQ 

Edmonds    

27   7 

87  7 

66  3 

5n 

Smith's  mixed  dent  

2C..2 

80  4 

67.7 

s8 

Howard's  improved  yellow  

21  .2 

87    Q 

67.0 

S 

Improved  orange  pride  

28.5 

82 

S^.2 

CC 

28.1 

70  I 

3D 

61  7 

C.4. 

Piasa  King  

30-9 

56.2 

43  9 

44 

Twelve  varieties  tested  in  — 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Average. 

Champion  white  pearl  

7° 

04  8 

74.  Q 

80 

Helms  improved  

84.8 

y<t  " 
102  6 

ci  .  i 

80 

86.6 

80  6 

60  d. 

7O 

Burr's  white  .          

8s  Q 

7c   7 

6?   7 

76 

Clark's  I  lo-day  . 

84  6 

73    1 

6c  c 

68  i 

77 

Fisk's   

76.6 

70  e 

61  7 

77 

Steward's  improved  

QI    2 

68  7 

C4.   7 

72 

Legal  tender  

84.   2 

68  7 

60 

71 

Clark's  Iroquois  

68.  q 

Xi  q 

59 

7O 

80  •; 

6c 

61  6 

60 

Edmonds  

87    7 

66  7 

ee  Q 

S 

Riley  's  favorite  

81   i 

66.1 

53  3 

67 

398  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

Among  the  yellow  varieties,  Learning,  legal  tender,  Champaign,  Fisk, 
Clark's  Iroquois,  and  Riley's  favorite,  are  medium  maturing.  Steward's 
improved,  improved  orange  pride,  and  Howard's  improved  yellow,  ripen 
too  late  to  be  depended  on  in  this  latitude.  Murdock  and  Edmonds  are 
early  maturing  and  may  be  grown  farther  north.  Among  white  varieties, 
Champion  white  pearl  or  Burr's  white,  and  Clark's  no-day  are  medium 
maturing.  Helms  improved  is  rather  too  late  in  this  latitude,  while  Piasa 
king  will  not  ripen  here.  Champion  of  the  north  is  an  extra  early  variety. 
Other  good  varieties  have  been  tested  a  less  number  of  times,  as  may  be 
seen  by  consulting  tables  giving  results  in  detail. 

Brazilian  flour  corn  has  been  tested  during  two  years,  seed  from  two 
sources  having  been  tested  in  1890.  It  has  proved  entirely  unsatisfactory. 
It  does  not  ripen  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  and  has  no 
characteristics  which  would  make  it  probable  that  it  would  be  desirable  if 
it  did  ripen. 

Hickory  king  was  tested  in  1890,  seed  from  three  sources.  It  is 
characterized  by  a  very  small  cob.  It  barely  ripened  this  season,  and 
would  not  ripen  in  an  average  season. 

EXPLANATION  OF  TABLES  GIVING  RESULTS  IN  DETAIL. 

Table  i.  The  germinating  power  of  50  kernels  of  each  of  the  varie- 
ties of  seed  planted,  with  the  exceptions  noted  in  the  table,  was  tested  in 
a  Geneva  apparatus*  at  an  average  temperature  of  61°  F.  The  number 
of  plants  growing  on  each  plat  was  ascertained  about  three  weeks  after 
planting.  The  per  cent,  of  kernels  producing  plants  at  the  dates  specified 
is  given  in  the  table.  September  gth  to  i2th,  the  number  of  stalks  and 
the  number  of  barren  stalks  were  ascertained.  For  comparison  a  full 
stand  is  considered  to  be  four  stalks  to  a  hill,  whicn  was  the  number  of 
kernels  planted.  The  height  of  stalk  and  of  the  butt  of  the  ear  from  the 
ground  was  ascertained  by  selecting  and  measuring  what' appeared  to  be 
an  average  hill,  usually  of  four  stalks  each  bearing  an  ear,  and  taking  an 
average  of  the  measurements  thus  obtained. 

Observations  were  made  upon  the  ripeness  of  the  corn  September  ist, 
September  nth,  September  22d,  and  October  2d.  The  date  given  in  the 
table  indicates  that  maturity  was  reached  during  the  eleven  days  preced- 
ing the  observation. 

Table  2.  The  number  and  weight  of  good  ears  and  nubbins,  and  the 
proportion  of  the  shelled  corn  from  each  was  ascertained  on  one -third  of 
each  plat.  The  weights  were  taken  nearly  as  fast  as  the  corn  was  husked, 
and  the  corn  was  re- weighed  before  shelling.  In  shelling,  any  corn  remain- 
ing on  the  cobs  was  removed  by  hand.  The  cobs  were  then  weighed  and 
the  difference  between  this  weight  and  the  weight  of  the  ear  corn  was  the 
weight  of  the  shelled  corn.  By  the  use  of  these  data,  the  yield  of  corn 
on  the  other  two-thirds  of  each  plat  was  calculated  from  the  field  weights 
taken  when  the  corn  was  husked.  An  average  pint  sample  of  the  shelled 

'Described  in  bulletin  No.  4,  p.  30,  Illinois  Experiment  Station. 


1891.]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS   WITH   CORN,   1890.  399 

corn  of  each  variety  was  sent  to  the  Station  laboratory  and  the  per  cent, 
of  water  ascertained.  From  these  data  there  were  calculated  the  yield 
per  acre  of  corn  containing  1 1  per  cent,  of  water  and  the  pounds  of  ear 
corn,  as  husked,  that  it  would  take  to  make  a  bushel  of  corn  containing 
ii  per  cent,  of  water,  or  air-dry.  The  corn  was  shelled  within  five  to  six 
days  of  the  time  it  was  husked.  The  per  cent,  of  shelled  corn  in  ear  corn 
was  calculated  from  the  field  weights. 

Mr.  Farrington  makes  the  following  statement  in  regard  to  the  method 
of  determining  the  water  in  the  samples  of  shelled  corn: 

The  samples  of  shelled  corn  were  received  at  the  Station  laboratory  in  quart  fruit 
jars,  sealed.  The  per  cent,  of  water  in  the  corn  was  estimated  in  the  following  way: 

Each  fruit  jar  of  corn  was  weighed  before  it  was  opened,  and  the  weight  recorded 
on  the  jar.  The  corn  was  then  ground  to  meal,  the  mill  thoroughly  cleaned,  the  ground 
corn  put  back  into  the  jar,  and  its  weight,  after  grinding,  recorded  on  the  jar. 

Ten  portions  of  ten  grams  each  were  weighed  out  from  one  sample,  put  into  a  dry- 
ing oven,  at  100°  to  103  °  C.  At  the  end  of  two  hours  two  portion  were  taken  out,  cooled 
and  weighed.  The  other  portions  were  withdrawn,  cooled,  and  weighed,  two  each  time, 
at  the  end  of  4,  6,  7,  and  24  hours,  with  these  results: 

Hours  of  Heating.  Per  cent,  of  loss  in  weight  on  10  grams. 

I                    2  Average. 

2                                 17.05  17.35  !7-2 

4                                1766  17.84  17.75 

6  179°  *7-94  !7-92 

7  17.88  17-78  I7-83 
24                               16.70  16.22  16.46 

In  this  sample  the  loss  in  weight  was  greatest  by  6  hours  heating;  by  longer  heating 
there  was  an  increase  in  weight,  probably  from  oxidation.  This  seemed  to  be  the  general 
tendency  of  these  samples,  although  some  continued  to  lose  weight  till  the  24th  hour. 

The  course  adopted  with  the  samples  right  through  was  to  weigh  duplicate  portions 
of  ten  grams  of  each  sample  after  heating  for  6  and  for  24  hours.  If  the  duplicate  por- 
tions agreed  in  loss  of  weight  within  .2  of  a  per  cent,  at  the  end  of  6  and  also  24  hours, 
then  the  average  loss  of  weight  for  the  period  showing  the  greatest  loss  was  taken  as  the 
per  cent,  of  water  in  the  portions  analyzed.  In  case  the  duplicates  did  not  agree  in  loss 
of  weight  within  .2  of  a  per  cent,  at  the  end  of  either  period,  other  duplicates  were  tried 
until  the  agreement  within  the  limit  was  attained.  From  the  per  cent,  of  water  deter- 
mined in  these  portions,  the  per  cent,  of  water  in  the  original  samples  as  brought  to  the 
laboratory  was  calculated. 

Table  j.  A  division  into  good  ears  and  nubbins  was  made,  and  the 
calculated  number  per  acre,  and  the  average  weight  of  one  hundred  of 
each  is  given  in  the  tables.  What  constituted  a  nubbin  was  a  matter  of 
judgment,  and  varied  with  the  character  of  each  variety. 

Table  4  gives  a  summary  of  the  results  obtained  from  the  dent  varie- 
ties on  74  plats  in  1888,67  in  1889,  and  51  in  1890.  The  division  was 
made  strictly  upon  the  observed  date  of  ripening  for  each  plat.  Different 
divisions  sometimes  contain  the  same  varieties  grown  on  different  tracts 
or  in  different  seasons. 


400 


BULLETIN    NO.    13. 


\_February, 


Maturity   in   period 
ending 


Full  tassel  in  week 
ending 


NN 


First  tassel  in  week 
ending 


333333333333333333333333333 


age 
me 


Circumfer- 
ence, cob,  in. 


VO  OO  OO  uiOO  CO    •  VO  CO  ^f       i 
CO  CO  CO  •*  CO  CO    !  CO  CO  CO  rf  CO  CO 'i' CO  • 


Circumfer- 
ence, ear,  in. 


.  VO  ^O  ^O  \O  ^  ^O 


Length,  ft. 


N         wONvovo    •   TJ- X   'i' CO  l~- ON  N  COOO  00   1-1        OOvON        OO   ON"«   ^- 

06  oo  06  06  06  i>-   :  06  06  i>-od  06  t-^od  06  06  t^-od  ON  t-.oo  ONOO  >>.  t-^-oo  o\ 


Ears. 


•  u~,ir>  LOOO 
Tj-cococorON   CON 


Stalks. 


6   O    O-  O    ON  O 


Percentage   of  bar- 
ren stalks. 


T}-  COOO  VO  vO  t>.vO  covO  OO  COONN 


ONONOOOOO   rfN   O   •*   ^-  x 


Percentage   ot     full 
stand  of  stalks. 


r^  l^  ••  O   O  OO  «">vO  CO  co  t-»  10 

oo  r^oo  ONOO  vo  oo  oo  t^  o  vo  vO 


N   •*  r—  r^O  OO  N   ONOO  vO  "1  O   "1OO  r^OO  vO   •*—  u->T)-u-iNvO  CON    ON 
OO  OO  OO  t^vO  VO  t^OO  OO  OO  vO  r^  ON  t^OO    ON  ONOO   ONOO  t-»00    ON  r>.  O^  t^vO 


Perceniage  germ  n 
ating  in  field. 


Perc'tage  germ'g  in 
Geneva  apparatus. 


VO   O 
ONO 


t^OO  OOOOOO   OOO 


OOO   OvO   ONO 
O    ON  O   ON  ON  O 


O    ONO    ONO    ONO   ON  O  00   ON 


„ 
B  ' 


.       -         M  j      B 

! 

-.--— 


. 
|  '3  c  s    ^ 

II 


w  N  CO  •*  mvO  OO   ON  O   •*  N  CO  •* 


t^OO   ON  O  «   N  CO  ^  "">vO  1^.00 
i-i-iMNNNNNNNNN 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN, 


4OI 


-"  r?  •"  -e  a.  tx  cx  a.  a.  cx  cx 


3333:3333333333333333333 


33333333333333333333333 


3    3 
»—»•—, 

MOO 


rO       OO   ro  uioo   i-  OO    ON      OO  OO  t^  l^v£>  OO  vO  CO        ONOO  r-»  -i 


N  vO  00  rOOO   N 


rO  C^OO  ro 
"i\O  vO  vO  O  vO  vO  vO 


"•>   OO  tO^O  00  00  00 

r^-oo  t^oo  oo  06  t--o6 


M  r^  ^  rOvO   Tt        f<5  ir»  u->  ro  N  N 

r-^oo  oo  od  t-.  osoo  od  cKoo  o\  cK 


vb  U1WD  O   <frf*J*<  co^O   ••"«•<   OX>0  CO  "ION  CON    ONIOIO 


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402 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


TABLE  2.     NAME  OF  VARIETY;  PERCENTAGE  OF  WATER;  POUNDS  OF  EAR  CORN  TO  A 
BUSHEL;  BUSHELS  SHELLED  CORN  PER  ACRE;  TOTAL  AIR-DRY  CORN;  Loss  IN  DRYING. 


2 
p" 
r 

Name  of  Variety. 

Per  ct.  water  in  shelled 
corn  when  husked. 

i  Pounds  ear-corn  per  bu. 
when  husked. 

Pounds  when  husked  to 
make  bushel  shelled 
corn  when  air-dry. 

Bu.shelled  corn  per  acre. 

O 
§ 

O-. 

n 
P 

P 

* 

c 
u- 
o;. 

en 

g 

£L 

£ 

ET 
1 

rt 
a. 

g 
EL. 
p 

1' 
-3 

| 

v> 

3' 
a. 
x_ 

3' 

era. 

~3 
4-9 
4.2 

5-5 
2.5 
1.8 

2.2 

5-7 
6.9 

44 
7-3 
49 
6-5 
7-1 
6.4 

2i 

3-6 

5-2 

9.6 
4-5 
4-5 
4-5 
3-4 

n 

i:? 

5-8 
4 
2-3 

41 
5-6 

5-8 
4.2 

3-5 

n 

1:1 

66 

"•3 
9.4 

13-2 
11.  8 

'  5-7 

6.2 

7-2 
7-6 
3-8 
5-9 
7-i 

i 

2 

3 
4 

6 

8 

9 

10 

ii 

12 

'3 

14 

:i 

17 

18 

19 

20 
21 
22 
23 
24 

2I 
26 

27 
28 
29 

3° 
3i 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 

39 
40 

4i 

42 
43 
44 

4l 
46 

47 
48 

49 
5° 
5i 

52 
53 

54 

ft 

18.1 
18.2 
16.6 
18.1 

15-3 
14.7 
16.7 
18  6 
20.3 
17-4 

20.0 

18.6 
19.4 
20.  6 
19.1 

'5-5 
15.9 
18.0 

21.6 

17.8 
17.9 
16.3 
16.5 
19.0 
17.9 
19.6 

20.2 
20.3 
17-4 
IS 
»7 
17.2 

17-5 
16.7 
I5.6 

»9 
23 
18-5 

'5-2 
18.1 

25   2 
24.7 
28.5 
25 
t8.3 
I7.8 
21-3 
2O 

16.6 
23  5 
33-i 
17  7 

67.7 
65.2 

67 
66.6 
66.7 
65-5 
63  9 
68.3 
66.9 
65.6 
67.9 
68 
65-9 
67-7 
65-3 
67.2 
64.7 
66.6 
69.8 
66.8 
65.4 
67-7 
67 
68.1 

65-7 
67.2 

67!? 

67 
65.6 
67.2 
68.3 

65-9 
65.6 
64.2 
68. 
65.7 
67 

65-7 
70. 
65.8 
65.9 
64.4 
69.7 
69.6 
68.5 
99.8 
70.6 

73-3 
84.6 

73-6 
70.9 
71.6 
72.4 
70.1 
68.3 
68 
74  6 
74-6 
70.7 

75-3 
73-4 
72.7 

75-9 
71.8 
70.7 
68.4 
72-3 
79-2 
72-3 
70.9 

72 
71-3 
74-9 
71.2 

74-4 
74-7 
76.4 
73-1 
70.1 
70.4 
72.2 
73-6 
70.4 
69.2 
70.5 
79-4 
71.7 

70.3 
71-4 
83.2 

77-7 
82.1 

76.5 
75-9 
73-7 
77-4 
77  7 
75-4 
85-1 
112.7 

64.7 
46.4 
53-4 
53-9 
38.7 
29.8 

29-3 
56.3 
51-3 
45 
57-9 
57-i 
56.3 
54-8 

59-9 
34-6 
45-6 
46.5 
57-' 
46.6 

42  4 
56.3 
25 
47-9 
43-7 
36.8 

50-7 
35-7 
36-3 
33-3 
39-9 

14-2 
14.4 
12.4 
14.8 
12-5 
II.9 

4-8 
n.  i 
15.6 
16.1 
14.6 
9.1 
I3.3 

II.  2 

10.8 

23 

20.7 
197 

23-9 
13- 
'53 
18.6 

3» 
15  * 

I5i 
24.6 

8.4 
19.6 
19.4 
189 
26.5 

789 
60.8 
65.8 
68.7 

51  2 

4i  7 
34-1 
67.4 
669 
61.1 

72.5 
66.2 
69.6 
66 
70.7 
57-6 
66.3 
66.2 
81 
59.6 
57-8 
74-9 
56 
63 
59-4 
61.4 

59-i 

55-3 
55-7 
52.2 
66.4 
806 
80.4 
656 
66.9 
66 
48.8 
608 

59  i 
827 
71.4 
61.2 
669 
74.8 
69.8 
81.1 
62.6 

75 
60.3 

425 
28.5 

72.6 

I51 
61.6 

63  2 
48.7 

39-9 
31-9 
61.7 
60 

56-7 
65-2 
61.3 
63.1 
58.9 

643 
54-7 
62.7 
61 
71.4 
55-' 
53-3 
70.4 
52-6 

57-3 
54-8 
55-5 
53 
49-5 
Si-7 
49-9 
61.9 

746 
61.4 

63-4 
60.  i 
42.2 

55-7 
56.3 
76.1 
60.  i 
51-8 
53-7 
63 
64.1 

74-9 
55-4 
67.4 
5"65 
36.6 
21.4 

Murdock  

Haber's  yellow   

Queen  of  the  north                  ... 

Early  Butler     

Fisk        

Legal  tender     

Learning      

«( 

Clark's  early  mastodon  

2d  Prem.  yellow  

Steward's  improved  yellow  

Munn's   

Profit    

Pride  of  Kansas       

Clarage    

Riley's  favorite  

California  yellow   

Clark's  Iroquois   

Giant  beauty  

Golden  beauty     

Chester  Co.  mammoth  

Burr's  white   

Wisconsin  early  

Dawn  

Burr's  white   

Boone  Co.  white  

46.8 

33-6 

Clarke  Co.  champion    

Beard's  Pearl   

48.9 
52-4 
34  9 
34  9 
51-6 
51.8 
54-7 
47-7 
50.7 
51-3 
55 
68.2 

34 

59  9 
46.7 
27.8 
16.4 

17.9 
136 
13-9 
25-9 
7-5 
309 
16.7 

13-5 
16.2 

23-5 
14.8 
12.9 
28.6 

I51 
13-6 

H-7 

12.  1 

Clark's  I  lo-day  

Helms  improved   ...        .    . 

Clarke  Co.  champion  

Clark's  1  10  day  

Helms  improved  ... 

Hickory  king  .... 

«           « 

«           <( 

Fisk's  white  

Champion  white  pearl   

Cranberry  

Fisk's  white  

Hominy  

Brazilian  flour  corn  ....        

Burr's  white  

«           « 

18.367.1 
18.468 

17.1167.2 

73-i 
74  2 

72.2 

52-4 
69.7 
60  7 

16  9 
15-5 

H  5 

69.3 
8592 

75  2 

636 
78.1 

70 

5-7 
7-i 

5-2 

«           « 

"           "        

FIELD    EXPERIMENTS   WITH    CORN,  1890. 


403 


D  vQ    QC^J  C\^n  -£  U)   M   ^   Q  \Q    QO  O\ln  ^  OJ   M   n 

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M  "OO  "OO  M  4k    ~  Cj  I,    000  ij  W  NO  Cn  W    M    N    Q    M  '"^    P<>°D 

DC  O  4k    O   OO  ON  M   ON  QO  Q   ON  ON  ON  ON  to  4k    O  4*  4k 
O  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

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Ca  M   O   ONVO  ^J  O   O   O  4^  ^  ON  O  Cn  "-  w  *W  M  <SU!qqnN 

NO  vO  NO  NO  NO  **^  NO  *^I  OO  O  NO  NO  ^n  OO  ONNO    M   OCNO 
4k  ~ON  ON4k    to  OO  OC  6   O   Oc4k   Io4»4k4k   ONIO   OCOO 

ooooooooooooooooooo 

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O   •"  OJ   •-  vp   ON  OO  pNUl 

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^k  4k  4x  4k  (^i  I 

ON  00  ON  10  4k  O04k  ON  M  M  OO  5  4^  4^  5  &5  4k' 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

MMU>U}yi4kyiyi4>4>>-i4k4kM*<IOJOJU> 

4k  o  oo  ooS  opTo  to  5  6 
oooooooooo 

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4k  ONONOOO  OO  to  ONONto  ONQCOOtO  M  O  4*  4- 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

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M  OO  M  VJ\  •  OOC»>  QN^J  M  M  ^n  OJ  NO  Ln 

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to  t^\  •    OJ-    4k  4k   »«  '     --)  4k   Q\<-n  Qj  <^i        Qo 

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to  M  OOOOONONOOOO  004k  M  O  •  4>  4k  O04k  O 
OOOOOOOOOOOO'  OOOOO 

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00 


I 

? 


404 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


[February, 


8  late  ma- 
turing. 


M    M   t^  M          w   lOO  >O    O    N 


29  medium 
maturing. 


ir»  i-  \o  vO         i- 


14  early  ma- 
turing. 


vO  >- 
OM» 


22  late  ma- 
turing. 


<O  "">  O  I 

O^O  OO 


lOt^OO 

rood  od 


O  OO  OO 
\£f  ro  ON 


N    O\N    IM 

42  medium        o^S  oo  oo  "  °° 
maturing.       j 


VO   IO  N 
o"  rod" 


N  O  «   ^  —  OO   OOO  in  co 

t-«  ^\O  vOOO^O   w  00  t^  «-" 


3  early  ma- 
turing. 


f*J  O   •••   ^  « 


^ 

00 


15  late  ma- 
turing. 


32  medium 
maturing. 


27  early  ma- 
turing. 


t-.  Q 

CTOO 


-4-00  N   Tj-vO  N   **•  N 


OO 
OO 


ro  "TO  r^vO   »  OO  t~»        i-< 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,   1890. 


4°5 


Experiment  No.  3.     Corn,  Time  of  Planting. 

The  effect  of  the  time  of  planting  on  the  yield  of  corn  has  been 
-studied  during  the  past  three  seasons.  The  tract  used  in  1890  was  similar 
and  adjacent  to  the  tract  used  in  1888  and  1889. 

In  1888  and  1890  there  were  7,  and  in  1889  there  were  8  weekly 
plantings. 

Each  year  the  corn  was  planted  on  fall-plowed  land  and  each  plat 
•was  prepared  in  a  similar  manner  just  before  it  was  planted. 

As  nearly  equal  cultivation  with  the  hoe  and  shallow  cultivator  was 
given  as  the  different  dates  of  planting  would  permit.  The  cultivation  in 
1888  was  given  in  detail  in  bulletin  No.  4,  p.  93,  and  that  of  1889  in  bulle- 
tin No.  8,  p.  247. 

The  cultivation  for  1890  is  given  below. 

TABLE  SHOWING  DATE  OF  PLANTING;  DATE  OF  CULTIVATION;   IMPLEMENTS   USED. 


ts 
sT 

Date  of  planting. 

Dates  of  Cultivation. 

With  hoe. 

With  Cultivator. 

First  time. 

Second  time. 

Third  time. 

i 

2 

3 
4 

6 
7 

April  28     ... 

May  26—7     

June  2  

fune  17.  . 

Tune  21 

Mav  1 

May  26  7 

2    

17. 

"      2? 

"     IS 

June  2  

17.  . 

2"?.  . 

"       IQ 

<i     |-j 

17    . 

2C  .  . 

"       26 

"     16 

2? 

2C. 

June  2   

"     16  

2S  .  . 

2S.  . 

July  21  

"      21          .  .  .  . 

"     o 

"        2/1 

2C     . 

2C     . 

The  first  two  and  the  last  two  plantings  were  hoed  once  and  cultivated 
three  times,  while  the  other  three,  from  May  i5th  to  26th,  were  hoed  once 
and  cultivated  twice.  During  the  three  seasons  the  earliest  plantings  have 
uniformly  required  more  cultivation  than  those  planted  somewhat  later; 
while  the  latest  plantings  have  sometimes,  although  not  always,  required 
as  much  as  the  earliest  plantings  to  keep  the  land  equally  free  of  weeds. 
Experiment  No.  S,  Frequency  of  Cultivation,  indicates  that  the  quantity 
of  cultivation  is  not  material  so  long  as  the  land  is  kept  equally  free  of 
weeds.  If  the  planting  may  be  timed  so  as  to  require  cultivation  but  three 
instead  of  four  times  and  yet  give  equally  as  good  a  crop,  a  gain  has  been 
made. 

June  27th,  the  height  of  the  upstretched  leaves  of  the  corn  as  it  stood 
in  the  field  was  about  as  follows:  Plat  i,  five  ft.;  plats  2,  3,  and  4,  four 
ft.;  plat  5,  three  feet;  and  plats  6  and  7,  one  foot. 

July  7th,  the  corn  on  plat  i  had  an  occasional  tassel,  while  on  plats 
2  to  7  there  were  practically  none.  The  corn  on  plats  2  and  3  was  about 
alike  and  much  smaller  than  on  plat  i;  on  plat  4  it  was  much  smaller  than 
on  plats  2  and  3;  on  plat  5  it  was  some  smaller  than  on  plat  4,  while  on 
plats  6  and  7  it  was  very  much  smaller  than  on  plat  5.  August  4th,  corn 


406 


BULLETIN    NO.  13. 


\_Fcbruaryr 


on  plats  i  to  5  was  fully  in  tassel,  and  on  plats  6  and  7  about  one-fourth 
in  tassel.  September  26th,  corn  on  plats  i  to  4  was  practically  ripe;  on 
plat  5  nearly  so;  while  on  plats  6  and  7  the  corn  was  decidedly  green. 
October  2d,  corn  on  plats  i  to  5  was  ripe,  while  on  plats  6  and  7  it  was 
still  green. 

October  23d  to  25th,  the  corn  was  husked  and  weighed.  Fifty-pound 
samples  were  taken  from  each  plat  and  October  28th  they  were  shelled,  the 
weight  of  shelled  corn  ascertained,  and  a  sample  of  shelled  corn  taken  to- 
determine  the  per  cent,  of  water. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELD  OF  CORN  AND  PER  CENT.  OF  WATER  IN  CORN  FROM  PLATS 

PLANTED    AT    DATES    NAMED,    1890. 


M 

p 

O"  o   o 

o  <-a 
S.2  o 

p    f6 

a 

T3 

F  1  § 

•?    3    3 

B 

w  F 

P  " 

2 
P" 

Date  of  planting. 

"  2 

e  ~& 

3-° 

B-o  a, 
•3  g  «• 

S--0 

Sen 

3   in   3 

S   Q 

ll 

r* 

5  3  2, 

•   3*  r 

n  p 

. 

2  rT"*1 

n 

p  .  O 

•     o 

T3 

n>  W  n> 

3    CTfl) 

>—  • 

a 

p^  re  p 

s    o 

<• 

• 

^ 

•     it 

MJ  «, 

I 

April  28   

-gg 

667 

71.  c 

l6.q 

72.1 

67.3 

2 

Mav  <C 

668 

67  Q 

74  Q 

IQ.4 

78.7 

•3 

722 

68.7 

/*  y 

76  Q 

21 

84.6 

L.  i 

"     19  

682 

68.7 

77 

7Q-4 

71.  1 

c 

"    26     

60.6 

82.2 

24.7 

87.Q 

74-4 

i 

June  2           

77.8 

74.2 

96.2 

71.2 

7Q  6 

6l.4 

7 

"    Q   . 

670 

71.8 

28.6 

74-7 

Co.  o 

The  yield  of  air-dry  corn  per  acre  was  the  least  in  the  earliest  and 
latest  plantings  and  the  best  in  the  intermediate  plantings;  but  good  crops 
were  obtained  from  all  the  plantings.  The  average  yield  of  the  four  plant- 
ings during  May  was  73  bu.  per  acre,  while  the  average  yield  of  the  three 
remaining  plantings,  one  in  April  and  two  in  June,  was  63  bu.  per  acre. 
The  percentage  of  water  in  the  shelled  corn  increased  in  general  from  the 
earliest  to  the  latest  plantings,  being  nearly  twice  as  great  when  corn  was 
planted  June  2d,  as  when  planted  April  28th.  To  produce  a  bushel  of 
air-dry  shelled  corn  required  nearly  25  pounds  more  ear  corn  when  taken 
from  the  latest  than  when  taken  from  the  earliest  plantings. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELD  OF  AIR-DRY  CORN  FROM  PLANTINGS  AT  DIFFERENT  DATES, 

1888,  1889,  1890. 


Plantings. 

Bushels  air-dry  corn  per  acre. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Average. 

April  22   

52 
44 
5i 
56 
50 
55 
5o 
;o 

April  27  29     

80 

87 
86 

8? 
83 

si 

SO 

67 
7i 
75 
7i 
74 
61 
60 

64 
70 
72 
69 
71 
64 
«1 

May  4—6       .            

May  1115         .              ... 

May  19—20  

May  26  27     

June  15     .            

Tune  8-17.  . 

FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,   1890. 


407 


These  data  indicate  that  it  is  a  safe  practice  in  this  locality  to  plant 
a  medium  maturing  variety  of  corn  any  time  in  May.  There  is  a  period 
of  three  weeks  at  least  (four  plantings)  within  which  the  time  of  planting 
has  made  no  material  difference  in  the  yield.  When  the  planting  was 
earlier,  the  yield  has  not  been  so  good,  as  it  has  required  more  cultivation 
to  keep  the  land  clear.  When  the  planting  was  after  the  first  of  June,  the 
yield  has  been  somewhat  less  and  the  corn  has  not  always  ripened. 

Experiment  No.  4.     Corn,  Depth  of  Planting. 

May  4,  1888,  six  rows,  each  8  rods  in  length,  were  planted  with  corn 
at  depths  varying  from  i  to  6  in.  May  6,  1889,  six  rows  were  planted  in 
the  same  manner,  and  an  extra  row  was  planted  on  each  side  so  that  all 
the  rows  under  test  might  be  equally  surrounded  by  corn.  May  8,  1890, 
six  rows,  six  rods  long,  were  planted  in  the  same  manner  as  in  1889. 

In  1888  and  1889,  the  land  was  similar  in  every  respect  to  that  used 
in  Experiment  No.  3,  and  in  1890  it  was  similar  to  that  used  in  Experiment 
No.  5.  The  prior  culture  of  the  land  had  been  the  same  and  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  corn  was  essentially  the  same.  The  cultivation  of  all  the  rows 
was  similar.  Four  kernels  of  Burr's  white  corn  were  planted  in  each  hill. 

In  1888  and  1890,  the  shallower  planted  corn  came  up  the  first;  in 
1889,  the  deep  planted  rows  started  to  grow  quicker,  but  in  four  weeks 
were  overtaken  by  the  shallower  planted  rows. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELD  OF  CORN  FROM  PLANTINGS  AT  DIFFERENT  DEPTHS,  1888,  1889, 

1890. 


j? 

-= 

? 

5 
I 

2 

3 

4 

\ 

Ears  per  acre. 

Bushels  per  acre. 

Ears  in  a  bushel. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver- 
age. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver- 
age. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver- 
age. 

11,070 
9»630 
10,440 

9.630 
8,280 

5.940 

10,  530 
10,080 
8,190 
9.540 
8,820 
10,440 

9,608 
9.385 
9.831 
7,485 
8,491 
8,389 

10,403 

8^885 
8,530 
8.254 

109.7 
88.4 
100.8 
88 

73-' 
60  3 

83 
83 
51 

87 
81 
92 

77-8 
72.8 
70-3 
58.4 
62.3 
60.3 

00.  2 
81.4 

74 
77.8 
72.1 
70.9 

101 

109 
104 
109 

ni 

98 

127 

121 

11.  1 
110 
109 

"3 

124 
129 
140 
128 
136 
139 

117 

120 
135 

116 
119 
117 

While  during  no  season  was  there  any  direct  relationship  between  the 
depth  of  planting  and  the  yield,  an  average  of  the  three  seasons  shows 
that  the  shallow  planted  rows  gave  the  largest  yield.  This  was  principally 
due  to  the  fact  that  more  ears  were  produced  per  acre.  There  is  no  appar- 
ent reason  why  planting  3  in.  deep  gave  poorer  results  than  planting  2  or 
4  in.  deep. 

Experiment  No.  5.     Corn,  Thickness  of  Planting. 

This  experiment  was  conducted  to  determine  not  only  the  best  thick- 
ness at  which  to  plant  corn,  but  also  the  best  manner  of  distributing  the 
seed  at  a  given  thickness — whether,  for  instance,  to  plant  three  kernels 
every  42  inches  or  one  kernel  every  14  inches. 


408  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  '  \_February, 

This  experiment  has  been  conducted  three  years  on  the  same  tract  of 
land.  Each  plat  contained  three  rows  about  six  rods  long,  and  five  rods 
of  each  were  harvested.  No  space  was  left  between  plats,  and  extra  rows 
were  planted  at  the  ends  of  the  tract.  The  rows  were  3  ft.  8  in.  apart. 

In  1888,  the  tract  was  spring-plowed  just  before  planting,  which  was 
after  stable  manure,  at  the  rate  of  30  tons  per  acre,  had  been  applied.  In 
1889,  it  had  been  fall-plowed,  and  in  1890,  it  was  plowed  April  24th.  May 
8  and  9,  1888,  May  2,  1889,  and  May  7,  1890,  Burr's  white  corn  was 
planted  on  the  24  plats  in  quantity  and  manner  given  in  the  table,  page 
412,  with  the  exception  that  in  1888,  instead  of  plats  of  like  thickness  of 
planting  being  adjacent,  plats  containing  the  same  number  of  kernels  per 
hill  were  planted  adjacent.  The  cultivation  of  all  the  plats  was  the  same. 
In  1888,  they  were  hoed  twice,  May  24th  and  June  2ist,  and  cultivated 
once  with  a  shallow  cultivator;  in  1889,  they  were  hoed  once,  May  22d 
to  25th,  and  cultivated  twice,  June  i4th  and  26th;  in  1890,  they  were  cul- 
tivated three  times,  May  29th,  June  5th,  and  2ist,  and  hoed  twice,  June 
4th  and  25th. 

October  8  to  13,  1888,  October  4, 5,  1889,  and  September  16,  17, 1890, 
the  plats  were  cut  and  shocked.  October  13  to  27, 1888,  the  corn-fodder  on 
each  plat  was  weighed,  the  corn  husked,  weighed,  and  shelled.  In  1889,  the 
corn  was  husked  from  the  shock  November  i4th  to  1 6th, and  the  corn  weighed 
and  shelled  November  i8th  and  i9th.  The  stover  was  not  weighed  until 
December  6th,  with  the  exception  of  plat  i,  the  corn  on  which  was  husked 
and  the  stover  weighed  October  29th.  In  1890,  October  27thto3ist, 
husked  corn  and  weighed  stover,  and  November  ist  weighed  and  shelled 
corn.  A  sample  of  shelled  corn  was  taken  each  year  when  the  corn 
was  weighed,  and  the  percentage  of  water  in  it  was  determined  as 
follows:  1888,  22.7  per  cent.;  1889,  24.4  per  cent.;  1890,  19.6  per  qent. 
The  corn  on  the  different  plats  ripened  equally,  so  far  as  could  be  ob- 
served, and  the  corn  on  the  different  plats  was  assumed  to  contain  an 
equal  per  cent  of  water. 

The  plats  were  planted  at  six  different  degrees  of  thickness  as  follows: 
47,520,  23,760,  15,840,  1 1, 880,  9,504,  and  5,940  kernels  per  acre;  and  for 
the  sake  of  brevity  and  clearness,  the  terms  first,  second,  third,  etc., 
plantings  will  be  used  in  the  discussion  which  follows:  For  example,  in 
the  first  planting  there  are  five  plats  each  the  same  degree  of  thickness, 
but  the  seed  in  the  several  plats  was  differently  distributed;  in  one  plat 
there  was  one  kernel  every  3  in.  in  the  row;  in  another,  two  every  6  in.; 
in  another  three  every  9  in.,  and  so  on.  There  are  five  plats  in  the  first, 
second,  and  third  plantings,  four  plats  in  the  fourth  planting,  three  in  the 
fifth,  and  two  in  the  sixth  planting.  In  the  summaries  which  are  given 
under  the  following  headings,  are  averages  of  these  plats.  The  results 
for  1890  are  given  in  detail  in  the  table  on  page  41 2,  from  which  an  idea 
of  the  scope  of  the  experiment  may  be  obtained.  The  results  of  1888  and 
1889  are  given  in  detail  in  bulletin  No,  8,  pp.  255,  256. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,  1890, 


409 


Number  of  stalks  harvested.  The  number  of  stalks  harvested,  because 
of  its  relation  to  the  yield,  is  more  important  than  the  number  of  kernels 
planted.  The  number  of  stalks  harvested  for  each  100  kernels  planted, 
however,  is  important  in  arriving  at  a  full  understanding  of  the  effect  of 
different  thicknesses  of  planting. 

TABLE  SHOWING  NUMBER  OF  STALKS  HARVESTED  PER  ACRE,  AND  NUMBER  FOR  EACH 
loo  KERNELS  PLANTED,  1888,  1889,  1890. 


Plantings. 

Number  of  stalks  harvested. 

No.  of  stalks  harvested   for  each  100 
kernels  planted. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

79 
84 
88 

97 
108 

"3 

Aver'ge. 

First  

29,460 
17,100 
13.940 
12,350 
",540 

8,200 

36,700 
19,820 
13,270 

11,100 

9,170 

6,260 

37.430 
19.835 
13.940 

11,270 
10,285 
7.320 

34.530 
18,920 

13,715 
".575 
10,330 
7,260 

62 

72 
88 
104 

121 

138 

77 
84 
84 
93 
96 

105 

73 
88 

87 
98 
108 

122 

Second  

Third  

Fourth  

Fifth  

Sixth  

In  general,  the  stalks  have  stooled  where  the  planting  was  at  a  less 
rate  of  thickness  than  one  kernel  every  foot.  This  is  an  indication  that 
not  so  many  stalks  were  growing  as  could  reach  full  development,  and 
additional  stalks  were  thrown  out  to  supply  the  deficiency.  Stooling  is 
not  in  itself  desirable,  as  extra  stalks  do  not  seem  to  bear  so  much  corn 
as  stalks  grown  directly  from  seed.  This  possibly  accounts  for  the  fact 
that  there  were  more  pounds  of  stover  for  each  pound  of  shelled  corn 
where  the  planting  was  at  a  less  rate  of  thickness  than  one  kernel  every 
foot  than  at  that  thickness,  as  is  shown  in  the  table  giving  summaries  of  the 
yields  of  corn.  From  the  fourth  planting,  or  where  the  planting  was  at 
the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  foot,  about  as  many  stalks  were  harvested  as 
kernels  planted,  while  where  the  planting  was  thicker,  fewer  stalks  were 
harvested  for  kernels  planted. 

Number  of  ears.  When  the  corn  is  husked,  the  number  of  ears  per 
acre  materially  affects  the  cost  of  harvesting,  and  unless  the  yield  is  larger, 
the  larger  number  is  manifestly  objectionable. 

TABLE  SHOWING  NUMBER  OF  EARS  HARVESTED  AND  NUMBER  OF  EARS  FOR  EACH  100 

STALKS,  1888,  1889,  1890. 


Plantings. 

Number  of  ears  harvested  per  acre. 

Number  of  ears  harvested  for  each 
loo  stalks. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

First  

18,400 
12,750 
10,000 
9,400 
7,600 
6,050 

17,175 
14,500 
11,600 
10,100 
8,400 
5,760 

",145 
12,420 
9,760 
8,870 

7,385 
5,470 

15,573 
13,223 
io,453 
9,456 

7,795 
5,760 

62 
74 
72 
76 
66 

75 

47 
73 
87 
9i 
9' 
92 

30 

63 

70 

79 
74 
76 

46 

70 

76 
82 

77 
81 

Second  
Third.  

Fourth  .    . 

Fifth  

Sixth  

During  the  three  years,  an  average  of  nearly  three  times  as  many 
ears  as  harvested  from  the  thickest  as  from  the  thinnest  plantings.     It  is 


410 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


[February, 


worth  considering  whether  the  smaller  ears  from  the  thicker  plantings 
would  have  a  tendency  to  reproduce  small  ears,  and  in  a  series  of  years 
still  further  reduce  the  size  of  ears  where  thickly  planted.  Such  a  result 
would  be  in  accord  with  the  general  law  of  reproduction.  Two  of  the 
three  years  and  the  average  of  the  three  years  show  fewer  barren  stalks 
when  the  planting  was  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  foot  than  at  rates 
of  planting  either  thicker  or  thinner.  An  average  of  about  one-fifth  of 
the  stalks  as  barren  where  the  conditions  were  most  favorable,  and  at 
the  thickest  plantings  over  one-half  were  barren.  There  were  fewer  bar- 
ren stalks  in  1889  than  in  1888  or  1890,  and  more  barren  in  1890  at  the 
thickest  planting  than  in  1888. 

In  1888,  there  were  more  ears  produced  where  there  was  but  one  ker- 
nel to  the  hill,  and  with  two,  three,  and  four  kernels  to  the  hill  there  was 
but  little  difference  in  the  number  produced.  In  1889,  the  more  kernels 
to  the  hill,  the  thickness  remaining  the  same,  the  more  the  number  of  ears 
produced.  In  1890,  there  were  more  ears  produced  where  three  kernels 
were  planted  per  hill,  and  the  least  number  was  produced  where  but  one 
kernel  was  planted  per  hill,  the  amount  of  seed  planted  being  the  same  in 
each  case. 

2 he  weight  of  stalks  and  ears.  The  size  of  stalk  and  ear  for  the  dif- 
ferent plantings,  as  indicated  by  their  weight,  is  given  for  1888,  1889,  and 
1890,  in  the  following  table: 

TABLE  SHOWING  WEIGHT  OF  100  EARS  AND  OF  IOD  STALKS  OF  STOVER. 


Plantings. 

Weight  of  loo  ears,  Ib. 

Weight  of  100  stalks  of  stover,  Ib. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

First  

33 

e 

64 
63 
70 

24 

40 

54 
63 
67 
67 

16 
26 
38 
50 
56 
62 

24 
39 
5i 

59 
62 
66 

40 

I4 
63 

70 

74 
97 

23 
30 
36 
44 
52 
54 

23 
35 
36 
40 
40 
47 

29 
40 
45 
5i 
55 
66 

Second  
Third  

Fourth  

Fifth  ....... 

Sixth  

With  a  single  exception,  there  was  a  constant  increase  from  the  thick- 
est to  the  thinnest  plantings,  each  of  the  three  seasons,  in  the  weight  of 
100  stalks  of  stover  and  of  100  ears.  The  average  weight  of  100  stalks 
of  stover,  and  of  100  ears  in  each  planting  is  nearly  the  same,  except  that 
the  ears  in  the  intermediate  plantings  were  much  heavier  than  in  the  thick- 
est plantings,  which  rapid  increase  of  weight  was  not  continued  through 
the  thinnest  plantings;  while  the  increase  in  the  weight  of  stalks  was  fairly 
uniform  from  the  thickest  to  the  thinnest  plantings.  It  has  made  no  dif- 
ference practically  to  the  size  of  the  stalks  or  the  size  of  the  ear  whether  one, 
two,  three,  or  four  kernels  were  planted  in  a  place  as  long  as  the  same  quan- 
tity of  seed  was  planted  per  acre.  The  differences  have  always  been  very 
slight  and  not  always  alike  during  the  three  years.  On  the  whole,  the  size 
of  the  ears  has  been  slightly  in  favor  of  one  stalk  to  the  place. 


1891.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS   WITH    CORN,  1890. 


411 


Yield.  The  following  table  gives  the  average  yield  for  the  different 
degrees  of  thickness  in  planting  for  1888,  1889,  and  1890.  Each  result 
each  season  is  the  average  of  from  two  to  five  plats. 

The  average  yield  of  corn-fodder  (corn  and  stalks)  and  corn-stover 
(corn-fodder  after  corn  is  husked)  decreased  constantly,  from  the  thick- 
est to  the  thinnest  plantings.  Leaving  out  the  thinnest  planting,  the  aver- 
age yield  of  field-cured  corn-fodder  for  the  three  years  from  the  five  thick- 
nesses of  planting,  which  includes  the  average  of  22  plats  each  season, 
was  nearly  6  tons. 

The  fourth  planting,  i  kernel  every  12  in.,  2  kernels  every  24  in.,  etc., 
gave  the  largest  average  yield  of  shelled  corn  per  acre  for  the  three  years, 
.and  the  largest  yield  in  1889  and  1890,  while  the  second  planting  i  kernel 
every  6  in.  2  kernels  every  12  in.,  etc.,  gave  the  largest  yield  in  1888.  The 
average  yield  from  the  third  and  second  plantings  was  but  4  and  5  bu.  less 
than  from  the  fourth  planting.  Each  season  the  fourth  planting  gave  the 
largest  yield  of  shelled  corn  from  good  ears.  The  average  yield  of  shelled 
corn  from  good  ears  from  the  third  and  second  plantings  was  one- fourth 
and  one-half  less,  respectively,  than  from  the  fourth  planting. 

To  harvest  an  acre  of  the  second  planting  would  require  the  husking 
of  13,200  ears;  of  the  third  planting,  10,450;  and  of  the  fourth  planting, 
9,450  ears. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELDS  PER  ACRE  OF  CORN  FODDER,  CORN  STOVER,  AND  SHELLED 
CORN;  ALSO  POUNDS  OF  STOVER  FOR  EACH  POUND  OF  CORN,  1888,  1889,  1890. 


Plantings. 

Tons  corn-fodder  per  acre. 

Tons  corn  stover  per  acre. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

First  

9 
8 

7-5 
7-5 
6.8 

5-8 

6-3 
5-9 
55 
5-5 

5-2 

3-6 

Is 

4 
4  i 
38 
3-i 

6.8 

6.2 

5-7 
5-7 
53 
4.2 

6 
4.8 
4-4 
4-3 

4-2 
4 

4.2 
2-9 

2.4 
2.4 
2.4 

i-7 

4-3 

34 
2-5 

2.2 
2 

i-7 

4.8 
3-7 
3-i 
3 
2.9 

2-5 

Second  
Third  

Fourth  
Fifth  

Sixth  

Bushels  of  shelled  corn  per  acre  from 
good  ears. 

Bushels  shelled  corn  per  acre  from 
nubbins. 

First  

32 
64 

71 
74 
61 

55 

6 
36 
6?. 
76 

7i 
48 

o 
ii 

32 
69 

52 
45 

13 

37 
55 
73 
63 
49 

57 
?6 

13 
II 

5 

55 
50 
29 

17 
n 

8 

26 
36 

22 

17 
10 

5 

46 
39 

22 

16 

II 

6 

Second  .... 
Third  

Fourth.  .    .. 
Fifth   
Sixth  

Total   bushels  shelled  corn  per 
acre. 

Pounds  of  stover  for  each  pound 
of  shelled  corn. 

First  

89 
95 
87 
83 
72 
60 

61 

86 
9' 
93 

56 

26 

47 
54 
66 
62 
So 

5t 
76 

77 
81 
72 
55 

2-4 
1.8 
1.8 
1.8 

2.1 
23 

2-4 
1.2 
0.9 
0.9 

;., 

5-9 

2.6 

*-7 

1.2 
1.2 
1.2 

3-6 
1.9 

I-S 

i-3 
1.4 

i-5 

Second  
Third  

Fourth  
Fifth  

Sixth  

412 


BULLETIN    NO.    13. 


[February,. 


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t^  u->  Tj-  Tj-  1-1    OsvO   N   Tj-i-iioi-ivO   »*•  i-i   O\M   «  f>t-.N*^N 

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Good  ears. 

f)       «   CTivO  «         ^J-vO  lOnnvOiOiiioOMi    Osro 

O  O  O  _;  O  t^oM^o'ioiod  101-0606   O\ON  ON\O  «-c  00  O   & 
M   M  H  flcON  fOrO'«l-I*T'<*''<J'lOiO'^-'t 

Ears  harvested  to 
100  stalks. 

Tfr^n  o  «  \O   cy>O   nOO   OO   OOO  voroioO  f-ioi-iO  N  C 
d  ro  ro  ro  fO  to  tooo  vO  to^O  t^^O  ^O  t^  t^  t^oo  OO  O  t^oO  ^O   O*» 

u    . 

5?3 

£  to 

£•« 
<* 

100  ears. 

H   Tfio^vO  iot^  —  00  w  t^O  tOOO  N    ON   ONO-<J-l-~'O   rf  O 
N  H  H  H   M   N  N  N  M  fOrorOfOrO'*'l-to-^--^-voio  to\O  vO 

100  stalks. 

N  ro  CO  <~O  to  covO   "*•  ^^O  >O  to  «*  t-»  I^*O   OO  CO  t^  «  "CO  O  CO 
N   N  N   N   N  rocococororOcococOCOcOCO'J''TCO'r'T^'lo 

Number  per  acre. 

Total. 

vO   '*-O  vovo  N   TJ-NvOOOOOVO   O   O   N   Tj-OOO  O^OOO  N   ^C 
COOO    i-HCOtOlON    O—    N    N    n    -*00   >ON    tJ-00    N    CO  •*  »*•  2"  O 
l^  CO'O   i  OO   O  tj-  t^vo  CO  «   ^OO  OOioO'O^O'itONOO   OO 

Nubbins. 

vO   THO  vO  \O   O   -*>O  vOOONOOOOOOTf  -<J-vO   O  \O  N   •*  Q   O 
COOO    —    OtO^-OO   r^  M    O    M    N    N    Tj-OO    N    N»OT)-t^iON    2° 

t^  covo  oooo  O  ot-^^J-'4-i^lor^o  O  N  N  **oo  o  cooo  'J-  N 

00  fT  ""    cfn  w   OcoO'o  ir*O\O  lOiOTF^cocOcTp)   «  n  1 

Good  ears. 

O         NOOOOVOOOOO'*OONOO\OOO'<1-O    1 
TJ-        wTj-«ON>-iOON   rj-vo   O   «  COOO  vO    O  ^J-  O   O 
OOONOO^ONO  TfOO    n  OO    ^00    ^-  N    N   lOOO    O    ^OOO 

H    N    M    11    ^COCOCO^f^J"'?lO>O'j-^FvO   CO^" 

Pounds  per  acre  of 
stover. 

•«4-00  OOOOO'4-NOOOOOOOvOO   ^t^O  N  O   N   ^J-00  >O  00  N 
<OT«-T(-Tj-OO>iNNOOOOOOOOiiiiNiiNN    CO^O   »O 
O    •*•  •*  ^-^O    11    Ot^lOO    N    NOOOO   t-»Tj->OCOiON    >-•    On   >O 

00  00  CO  00   O  t^^O  vO  *O  t^  to  to  ^^•^•^•^•Tl'^TF^'  CO  CO  CO 

Pounds  per  acre, 
stalks  and  corn. 

VO  00  \O  vO  vO  vO   Q   Tl-00  OO   rJ-OO  ^J-NOO  NvO   OOOvO   •*'i-  'J-OO 
t-^OO   t^  VO  CO  t^OO    TJ-N    NVOOO    O    CON   t^  —  VOvO   1ONOOOO    N 
VOOO  00   t^i   lO^-'^-NOO    COCO  f^VO    O    11    COOO    N  VO   10  10  t^  »O 

OOOO"    OOOO  OOO  OO  f-  t^OO  00  00  t^OO  t^  1--  t-»  lOVO 

Ratio  of  kernels 
planted  to  stalks 
harvested. 

OOOOOOOnONCOiiNCOlO>-iNONt^NOOii   »^.VO    'i-  N 

t-»  t>.  t-»  t^oo  ooo  oo  oo  oo  o  o  ooo  oo  o  OOON  o  oco  — 

_,                                   _,     M               M     M 

Number  of  stalks 
harvested. 

Ot>.coNOOvO   Tj-ii   O  tovp   N   O  **   Tf  CO  «  f-OO  O   N  i  vO    O 
vO  r^r^oo   OTfOiOOO"   or^vo  10  rf  N  «  TJ-  <-<  OO  coj 

No.  kernels  planted 
per  plat. 

O   O  O   O  OioioioioioO   O  O  O   OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  •*•* 
OOOOOOOOOOrocorOrocOTj-Tj-^-Tj-OOON  N 

Inches  between 
hills. 

COVO   O  N  lOVO   N  OO   •*  O    OOO  r^vO  vo  N   ^vO  X  10  O  to  r)-oo 
MM         «i-ifjco       «NcO^*->iNcO^-«cO'*N^- 

No.  kernels  in  a 
hill. 

«    N   cotton    N    CO'tlOn    N    COTfty-)«    M    rOTf-«    N    CO«    N 

1891.]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,  l8gO.  413 

With  the  same  rate  of  planting,  the  average  shows  no  material  differ- 
ence in  the  yield  when  one  or  more  kernels  were  planted  to  the  hill.  Two 
seasons  the  yield  was  slightly  in  favor  of  two  kernels  per  hill,  and  in  1889 
slightly  in  favor  of  four  kernels  per  hill. 

The  yield  of  corn-fodder  has  been  very  slightly  greater  where  one 
and  two  kernels  were  planted  per  hill  than  where  three  and  four  kernels 
were  planted  per  hill. 

TOTAL  DIGESTIBLE  SUBSTANCE  PER  ACRE. 

While  there  were  3,600  Ib.  more  of  corn-stover  raised  from  the  first 
planting  than  from  the  fourth  planting,  there  were  22  bu.,  or  1,232  Ib.  more 
of  grain  from  the  latter  than  from  the  former.  During  twelve  years  (1876 
-1887)  the  average  farm  price*  of  corn  in  Illinois  has  been  35.7  cents  per 
bushel.  At  that  price  for  corn  the  corn-stover  must  be  worth  $4.49  per 
ton  for  the  one  crop  to  equal  the  other  in  value. 

Comparing  the  second  and  fourth  plantings,  there  were  1,400  Ib.  of 
corn-stover  in  favor  of  the  second  planting  and  5  bu.  of  grain  in  favor  of 
the  fourth.  At  35.7  cents  per  bushel  for  the  corn,  the  corn-stover  must 
be  worth  $2.55  per  ton  for  the  two  crops  to  be  equal  in  value. 

The  best  means  at  hand  of  determining  the  total  food  value  at  each 
planting  is  by  ascertaining  the  total  quantity  of  digestible  substance  per 
acre.  To  do  this,  it  is  first  necessary  to  ascertain  the  total  yield  of  water- 
free  substance.  The  per  cent,  of  water  in  the  shelled  corn  has  been  de- 
termined each  season  as  already  given,  and  from  that  the  water-free  sub- 
stance in  the  shelled  corn  as  given  in  the  table  has  been  calculated.  The 
per  cent,  of  water  in  the  corn-stover  as  it  was  brought  from  the  field  in 
these  experiments  was  not  ascertained.  Neither  has  there  been  any  sys- 
tematic attempt  to  determine  the  per  cent,  of  moisture  in  corn-stover  un- 
der these  conditions.  Mr.  Farringtonf  determined  the  per  cent,  of  water 
in  seven  samples  of  corn-fodder  taken  weekly  between  February  i4th  and 
March  i2th  and  found  they  contained  an  average  of  32.19  per  cent,  of 
water.  The  grain  would  pretty  certainly  have  contained  a  considerably 
less  per  cent,  of  water,  and  hence  the  corn-stover  a  larger  per  cent,  of 
water.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  sample  of  corn-fodder  had  been  taken 
at  the  time  when  the  weights  of  corn-stover  were  taken  in  these  experi- 
ments, it  would  undoubtedly  have  contained  a  less  per  cent,  of  moisture. 
Provisionally,  therefore,  33^  per  cent,  will  be  taken  as  representing  the 
average  per  cent,  of  moisture  in  the  corn-stover  when  weighed  direct  from 
the  field. 

The  following  table  gives  the  yield  of  water-free  substance  in  the  corn 
stover  on  this  basis. 

Wolf**  gives  the  digestibility  of  the  kernel  of  Indian  corn  as  88.5  per 
cent,  and  Armsbyff  the  digestibility  of  corn-stover  as  62  per  cent.  Apply- 

*See  Report  U.  S.  Dep't.  of  Agriculture,  1887,  p.  536. 

till,  Exp't  Sta.  Bull.,  No.  9,  pp.  315-7. 

**Mentzel  and  Lengerke,  Kal.   1888,  p.  86 

ttPenn.  State  College  Experiment  Station  Re  ort   188 


414 


BULLETIN    NO.    13. 


\_Pebruary, 


ing  these  coefficients  of  digestibility,  the  yield  of  digestible  matter  per 
acre  is  estimated  as  given  in  the  table. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELD  OF  DRY  MATTER  AND  DIGESTIBLE  SUBSTANCE  PER  ACRE. 


Plantings. 

Yield  of  water-free  sub- 
stance per  acre,  Ib. 

Yieldof  digestible  substance 
per  acre,  Ib. 

Stover. 

Kernel. 

Total. 

Stover. 

Kernel. 

Total. 

First  

6,400 
4,933 
4-133 
4,000 
3,867 
3,333 

2,542 
3,302 
3,364 
3,5i8 

3-H3 
2,419 

8,942 
8,235 
7,497 
7,5i8 
7,010 
5.752 

3,968 
3,058 
2,562 
2,480 

2-398 
2,066 

2,250 
2,922 
2,977 
3,"3 
2,782 
2,141 

6,218 
5,98o 
5,539 
5,593 
5,180 
4,207 

Second   

Third     

Fourth  

Fifth   

Sixth  

According  to  these  estimates  there  is,  with  the  exception  of  the  fourth 
planting,  a  constant  decrease  in  the  total  yield  of  digestible  substance  per 
acre  from  the  thickest  to  the  thinnest  plantings.  In  the  yield  of  digestible 
substance  from  the  stover  the  decrease  is  constant  throughout;  but  in  the 
yield  from  the  kernel,  the  largest  yield  is  from  the  fourth  planting,  and 
there  is  a  constant  decrease  from  this  thickness  to  both  the  thickest  and 
thinnest  plantings.  While  the  total  yield  of  digestible  substance  was  238  Ib. 
more  where  the  planting  was  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  3  in.  than 
where  it  was  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  6  in.  The  yield  of  digestible 
substance  from  the  stover  was  910  Ib.  more  at  the  former,  and  that  from 
the  kernel  672  Ib.  more  at  the  latter,  thickness.  On  account  of  the  supe- 
rior composition  of  the  kernel,  it  is  probable  that  the  nutritive  value  of 
the  digestible  substance  would  be  greater  at  the  latter  thickness.  For  fod- 
der purposes,  therefore,  these  experiments  gave  the  best  results  where 
the  planting  was  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  6  in.,  or  about  24,000 
kernels  per  acre. 


GENERAL  STATEMENT  AS  TO  THICKNESS  OF  PLANTING. 

Corn  may  be  planted  both  too  thick  and  too  thin  for  its  best  develop- 
ment. The  proper  distance  for  any  given  locality  depends  largely  upon 
the  latitude,  the  variety,  and  the  soil.  In  the  experiments  here  reported 
a  medium  maturing  variety  was  grown  on  a  fertile  black  prairie  loam, 
whose  physical  properties  with  reference  to  soil  water  were  of  the  highest 
order,  a  very  important  consideration. 

In  general,  planting  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  12  in.,  or  about 
12,000  kernels  per  acre,  gave  the  largest  yield  of  corn  (grain),  and,  with- 
out exception,  the  largest  yield  from  good,  well  developed  ears.  While 
the  total  yield  of  corn  from  this  thickness  was  not  much  more  than 
where  the  thickness  was  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  9  or  6  in.,  the 
yield  of  corn  from  good  ears  was  considerably  more.  Planting  at  the  rate 
of  one  kernel  every  12  in.  gave  the  largest  yield  of  corn  in  proportion  to 
stover  or  stalks,  and  the  largest  number  of  ears  in  proportion  to  stalks; 


1891.]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,   1890.  415 

that  is,  the  least  number  of  barren  stalks.  The  weight  of  single  ears  and 
stalks  increased  from  the  thickest  to  the  thinnest  plantings. 

While  planting  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  every  3  in.  or  47,520  ker- 
nels per  acre,  gave  a  little  larger  yield  of  dry  matter  and  of  digestible  sub- 
stance than  planting  at  half  that  thickness,  the  yield  of  grain  from  the 
thinner  plantings  was  so  much  greater  that  it  is  believed  the  nutritive 
value  of  the  crop  for  fodder  purposes  was  greater  where  planted  at  the 
rate  of  one  kernel  every  6  in.  or  about  24,000  kernels  per  acre. 

Neither  for  fodder  purposes  nor  for  the  production  of  grain  merely 
was  there  any  material  difference  in  the  yield  whether  one,  two,  three,  four, 
or  five  kernels  were  planted  per  hill,  the  number  of  kernels  planted  per 
acre  remaining  the  same,  provided  the  land  was  left  equally  clean  by  the 
•cultivation. 

The  result  of  this  season's  experiment  upon  the  effect  of  the  method 
of  distribution  where  the  cultivation  was  similar  in  amount,  but  not  equally 
effective  in  keeping  the  land  free  from  weeds,  is  given  below,  and  is  in  favor 
of  planting  in  hills.  In  a  similar  experiment  in  1888  there  was  practically 
no  difference  whether  the  corn  was  planted  in  hills  or  drills. 

Experiment  No.  6.     Corn,  Planting  in  Hills  or  Drills, 

Three  plats  containing  0.433  acre  each  were  planted  with  the  same 
quantity  of  Burr's  white  corn.  The  tract  was  fall-plowed  after  being 
manured.  May  3,  1890,  tract  was  disked  twice.  May  5th,  tract  was  har- 
rowed twice  and  planted.  Plat  i  was  planted  in  drills  3  ft.  8  in.  apart  and 
one  kernel  placed  every  1 1  in.  in  the  drill  row.  Plats  2  and  3  were 
planted  in  hills,  4  kernels  every  3  ft.  8  in.  each  way.  Each  plat  was  cul- 
tivated with  a  shallow  cultivator  four  times,  May  23d,  June  3d,  xyth,  and 
24th.  Plats  i  and  2  were  cultivated  but  one  way.  Plat  3  was  cultivated 
twice  each  way.  October  i5th  to  i8th,  corn  was  husked  and  weighed. 

TABLE  SHOWING  YIELDS  FROM  PLATS  PLANTED  IN  HILLS  AND  IN  DRILLS;  ALSO  FROM 
CULTIVATION  "  ONE  WAY  "  AND  "  BOTH  WAYS." 


Yield  of  car 

Bu.  shelled 

Planting  and  cultivation. 

corn   per 

corn   per 

Relative 

plat,  Ib. 

acre. 

Yield. 

I 

Drills,  cultivation  one  way  

1,720 

60.8 

78 

2 

Hills,  cultivation  one  way   

2,0^0 

71.7 

02 

3 

Hills,  cultivation  both  ways  

2,198 

77-7 

100 

The  fact  that  where  the  plats  were  planted  in  hills  and  cultivated  one 
way,  the  yield  was  greater  than  when  they  were  planted  in  drills,  does  not 
indicate  that  planting  in  hills  is  of  itself  any  better,  as  was  shown  in  Ex- 
periment No.  5,  for  it  was  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact  that  the  land  was 
kept  cleaner  with  the  same  cultivation  when  planted  in  hills  than  when 
planted  in  drills.  The  larger  yield  where  the  planting  was  in  hills  and  the 
cultivation  both  ways  instead  of  but  one  way,  was  also  probab  y  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  land  was  thereby  kept  very  much  freer  of  weeds. 


416  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

Experiment  No.  8.     Corn,  Frequency  of  Cultivation. 

Experiments  Nos.  8,  9,  and  10  are  but  different  phases  of  the  general 
subject  of  the  cultivation  of  corn.  All  these  were  conducted  on  the  same 
tract  of  land,  hence  its  preparation,  the  planting  of  the  seed,  and  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  crop  are  identical,  and  will  be  given  under  this  experiment. 

The  land  is  the  black  prairie  loam  common  to  central  Illinois,  of  about 
20  inches  in  depth,  and  underlaid  with  yellow  clay.  The  tract  is  high 
enough  to  drain  naturally  and  is  not  tile  drained,  although  there  are  tile 
laid  in  the  same  field  not  far  distant. 

In  the  season  of  1887,  the  land  was  in  mammoth  clover.  In  1888  and 
1889  these  experiments  were  conducted  on  this  same  tract,  used  in  1890 
for  the  third  time. 

The  method  of  conducting  the  trial  has  been  substantially  the  same 
each  season.  The  details  for  1888  are  given  in  bulletin  No.  4,  and  those 
for  1889  are  given  in  bulletin  No.  8. 

In  1890,  the  tract  was  plowed  April  24th,  25th  without  removing  the 
stalks.  May  2d,  3d,  the  tract  was  rolled,  disked,  harrowed,  and  marked. 
May  3d,  8  plats,  each  2x8  rods,  or  TV  acre  were  planted,  four  kernels  to 
the  hill,  with  Burr's  white  corn. 

This  experiment  was  made  to  determine  the  effect  of  different  quan- 
tities of  cultivation  on  the  yield  of  corn  whether  the  cultivation  was  deep 
or  shallow.  For  this  purpose  it  was  arranged  to  cultivate  very  frequently 
plat  8  with  a  deep  cultivator,  the  "John  Deere"  or  a  similar  implement 
being  used,  and  plat  7  equally  frequently  with  a  shallow  cultivator,  the 
"Tower"  being  used;  to  cultivate  plat  6  with  the  deep  and  plat  5  with  the 
shallow  cultivator,  the  ordinary  amount  of  cultivation  being  given;  and 
to  cultivate  plats  3  and  4  as  plats  5  and  6,  except  that  the  cultivation  was 
to  be  continued  past  the  ordinary  time  of  laying  corn  by.  For  the  pur- 
poses of  comparison,  in  Experiment  No.  9,  Depth  of  Cultivation,  the  weeds 
were  removed  from  plat  2  without  any  cultivation  and  with  the  least  pos- 
sible disturbance  of  the  soil;  and  plat  i  was  hoed  in  the  ordinary  way, 
but  not  otherwise  cultivated. 

The  following  table  gives  the  quantity  and  kind  of  cultivation  of  the 
different  plats.  The  cultivation  of  the  plats  was  all  one  way,  as  cross- 
cultivation  was  not  practicable  since  the  plats  receiving  different  kinds 
and  quantities  of  cultivation  were  adjacent.  This  made  it  necessary  to 
remove  the  weeds  in  the  row  with  a  hoe,  as  shown  in  the  table,  but  this 
was  done  with  as  little  disturbance  of  the  soil  as  possible. 

From  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  plat  5  was  cultivated  shallow  and 
plat  6  deep  four  times,  which  is  the  customary  number  of  times  with  far- 
mers in  this  state.  Plats  3  and  4  were  cultivated  in  the  same  way,  except 
that  in  addition  they  were  cultivated  once,  August  5th,  after  the  corn  was 
fully  tasseled.  Plats  7  and  8  were  cultivated  13  times. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,    1890. 


417 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  CULTIVATION  OF  PLATS  IN  EXPERIMENTS  Nos.  8,  9,  10,  1890. 


Date,  1890. 

Plat  i. 

Plat  2. 

Plat  3. 

Plat  4. 

Plat  5. 

Plat  6. 

Plat  7. 

Plat  8. 

May  24 

Shallow 

Deep 

Mav  27  .  . 

Hoed. 

Scraped. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Mav  20    . 

Shallow 

Deep 

May  31 

Shallow 

Deep 

Shallow 

Deep 

June    4   
Tune    6   .... 

Hoed. 

Scraped. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Shallow. 
Shallow 

Deep. 
Deep 

June  10  

Shallow. 

Deep 

June  16-17.  ] 
Tune  IQ   . 

Hoed. 

Scraped. 

Hoed  in 
row. 
Shallow. 

Hoed  in 
row. 
Deep. 

Hoed  in 
row. 
Shallow. 

Hoed  in 
row. 
Deep. 

Hoed  in 
row. 
Shallow. 

Hoed  in 
row. 
Deep 

June  21    

Shallow 

Deep 

June  23 

Shallow 

Deep 

June  25-26.    . 

Scraped. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

June  28   

Hoed. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Shallow 

Deep 

August  S.  .  . 

Shallow. 

Deep. 

Yield.  October  25th,  each  of  the  36  rows  of  9  hills  or  two  rods  long 
of  each  plat  was  husked  and  weighed  so  that  the  yield  of  the  pruned  and 
unpruned  rows  might  be  determined,  as  explained  under  Experiment  No. 
10,  Effect  of  Root-Pruning.  The  table  on  page  422  gives  the  weight  in 
detail.  The  table  on  page  418  gives  a  summary  of  the  results  for  the 
three  seasons,  1888,  1889,  and  1890,  and  the  diagram  represents  the  aver- 
age yield  per  acre  for  the  three  seasons  on  each  plat. 

In  1888,  there  was,  practically,  no  difference  in  yield  between  the  two 
plats  which  were  given  the  ordinary  amount  of  cultivation,  and  those  which 
were  given  three  times  the  ordinary  amount  of  cultivation;  neither  was 
there  any  better  yield  from  those  plats  which  were  cultivated  twice  after 
the  usual  time  of  laying  corn  by.  In  1889,  those  plats  which  were  given 
the  ordinary  amount  of  cultivation  yielded  4^  bu.  more  than  those  that 
received  3]^  times  as  much  cultivation;  while  those  that  were  cultivated 
once  after  the  ordinary  time  of  laying  corn  by,  yielded  a  little  over  2  bu. 
more  than  the  ordinary  cultivated  plats.  It  was  evident  throughout  the 
season  that  plats  7  and  8  were  less  thrifty,  apparently  on  account  of 
the  too  frequent  cultivation.  There  were  no  less  weeds  on  plats  3  and  4 
this  season  on  account  of  their  later  cultivation  last  year. 

In  1890,  those  plats  which  were  cultivated  13  times  yielded  6^  bu. 
more  than  those  cultivated  the  ordinary  number  of  times  and  nearly  7^ 
bu.  more  than  those  cultivated  once  after  tasseling,  in  addition  to  the  ordi- 
nary quantity. 

If  the  yields  of  each  pair  receiving  the  different  quantities  of  culti- 
vation be  averaged  for  the  three  years  the  result  will  stand  thus: 

Plats  receiving  ordinary  cultivation 77.5  bu.  per  acre 

Plats  cultivated   after  tasseling  in  addition  to  ordinary 

cultivation 78.1  bu.  per  acre 

Plats  cultivated  frequently 78.3  bu.  per  acre 


4*8  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  {February, 

TABLE  SHOWING  FOR  1888,  1889,  1890— CULTIVATION;  YIELD. 


33 

18 

38. 

18 

89. 

i& 

JO. 

S- 

Kind  of  cultivation. 

Bu.  per 
acre. 

Aver'ge. 

Bu.  per 
acre. 

Aver'ge. 

Bu.  per 
acre. 

Aver'ge. 

i 

Hoed,  ordinary.    

96 

77.8 

2 

None.w'dsscrap'd  fr'm  surf. 

9° 

77.1 

69.  i 

3 
4 
5 

Shallow,  once  after  tasseling 
Deep,  once  after  tasseling  .  . 
Shallow,  ordinary  

*94.i  ) 
*852f 
9?.  8  | 

*89.7 

83.8) 

79-31 
84.  6  I 

Si.  6 

66.4) 

59.31 

66  8  / 

62.9 

6 

Deep,  ordinary  

84.0  f 

89.4 

Id.  2  I 

79-4 

60  8  \ 

63.8 

Shallow,  frequent  

94.6  i 

80  o  ) 

71    ,    , 

I 

Deep,  frequent  

84.5  \ 

89.6 

68.8  f 

74-9 

71.1  i 
69-4i 

70.3 

*Twice  after  tasseling. 

DIAGRAM  SHOWING  CULTIVATION  AND  AVERAGE  YIELD  PER  ACRE  FOR  THE  THREE. 

YEARS,  1888-90. 
Bushels 70    75    80   8& 


1.    Hoed,  ordinary. 


2.    No  cultivation. 


3.    Shallow,  after  tasselint 


4.    Deep,  after  tasseling. 


5.    Shallow,  ordinary. 


6.     Deep  ordinary. 


7.     Shallow,  frequent. 


8.      Deep,  frequent. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS   WITH    CORN,   1890. 


419 


No  appreciable  benefit  was  derived  from  frequent  cultivation,  nor 
from  cultivating  after  the  ordinary  time  during  the  three  years  in  which 
the  trials  have  been  made. 

Experiment  No.  9.     Corn,  Depth  of  Cultivation. 

The  care  of  the  crop  in  this  experiment  has  been  discussed  under 
Experiment  No.  8. 

This  experiment  has  been  conducted  three  years  on  eight  separate 
but  adjacent  plats.  Three  were  cultivated  with  a  shallow  cultivator,  with 
varying  frequency,  as  explained  under  Experiment  No.  8,  and  three  others 
were  cultivated  with  a  deep  cultivator  with  the  same  varying  frequency. 
On  one  plat  corn  has  been  grown  during  three  years  without  any  stirring 
of  the  soil  after  planting.  The  surface  was  merely  scraped  with  a  sharp 
hoe  to  remove  the  weeds.  Another  plat  was  hoed  in  the  ordinary  way 
but  not  otherwise  cultivated. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results: 

TABLE   SHOWING  THE  YIELD  PER  ACRE   FROM   SHALLOW  AND  DEEP  CULTIVATED 
PLATS  IN  1888,  1889,  AND  1890. 


2 
5* 

Kind  of  cultivation. 

Bushels 

per  acre. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

Aver'ge. 

I 

Hoed,  ordinary   

nf> 

-"   X 

Si    i 

2 

None,  weeds  scraped  from  surface      

9° 

77.8 

69.4 

»e  i 

9° 

77.1 

78.7 

•\ 

Shallow,  once  after  tasseling  

8.1  R 

fj^     A 

fir     . 

A 

Deep,  once  after  tasseling  

94.1 

Or   t 

e 

Shallow,  ordinary  ..          . 

85.2 
nt  8 

79-3 

&A  f. 

59-3 

AA  8 

74^9 

i 

Deep,  ordinary  

93-  o 

X/l    r\ 

fin  8 

81.7 

7 

Shallow,  frequent  

54  9 

74-2 
8n  n 

73-3 

8 

Deep,  frequent      

94.6 

KA    P 

f.0  0 

7I.I 

f,n     A 

°4-5 

09.4 

74.2 

Shallow,  average  3  plats   

0,    , 

f.0    . 

Cr    8 

Deep,  average  3  plats   ...        .        

94.2 

KA    r\ 

83.1 

Increase  with  shallow,  bu.  per  acre  

84-9 

74-1 

74.1 

Per  cent,  increase  with  shallow  

9-3 

9 

4-9 

7-7 

7.8 

10.3 

Inspection  of  this  table  will  show  that  for  the  three  years  the  yield 
of  corn  has  been  increased  one-tenth  by  the  shallow  cultivation  over  the 
deep  cultivation,  the  least  increase  any  one  season  was  a  little  less  than 
one-twelfth,  in  1890,  and  the  greatest  increase  one-eighth  in  1889.  In  only 
one  case  in  any  one  of  the  three  years  did  a  deep  cultivated  plat  yield 
more  than  any  one  of  the  shallow  cultivated  plats.  The  plat  which 
had  no  cultivation,  but  had  the  weeds  removed  by  scraping  with  a  sharp 
hoe,  yielded  more  each  season  than  the  average  of  the  three  deep  culti- 
vated plats — from  3  to  6  bu.  more — and  in  only  two  instances,  once  in 
1889,  and  once  in  1890,  did  any  one  of  the  deep  cultivated  plats  yield 
more  than  the  plat  not  cultivated. 

The  meaning  of  these  experiments  seems  to  be  that  that  cultivation 
of  the  soil  which  will  effectually  remove  the  weeds,  and  at  the  same  time 


420  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

disturb  the  roots  as  little  as  possible,  is  the  best.  The  experiments  indi- 
cate that  on  this  soil  the  stirring  of  the  soil  apart  from  that  necessary  to 
kill  the  weeds  is  of  little  benefit.  In  practice,  it  is  necessary  to  stir  the 
soil  more  or  less  to  kill  the  weeds.  Undoubtedly,  it  is  better  to  disturb 
some  roots  than  to  allow  weeds  to  grow.  Given  good  soil,  a  good  seed- 
bed, a  good  variety  of  corn  of  good  vitality,  and  favorable  climatic  con- 
ditions, the  first  essential  to  secure  a  good  crop  of  corn  is  to  keep  the 
land  clean,  and  the  second  is  to  do  this  with  as  little  injury  to  the  roots 
as  possible.  It  is  not  a  question  of  any  particular  style  of  implement, 
but  a  question  of  securing  the  desired  result  in  any  way  practicable. 

EFFECT  OF  DIFFERENT  DEPTHS  OF  SEED-BED  WITHOUT  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  CORN. 

In  order  to  study  the  effect  of  no  stirring  of  the  soil  after  the  corn 
was  planted,  the  seed-bed  of  five  plats  each  2x4  rods,  or  ^V  of  an  acre, 
was  prepared  at  different  depths.  After  the  corn  was  planted  the  weeds 
were  removed  by  scraping  the  surface  with  a  sharp  hoe. 

The  land  was  similar  and  adjacent  to  the  tract  used  in  Experiment 
No.  8.  The  land  being  in  clover  was  plowed  about  4  in.  deep  in  the 
spring  of  1888  and  planted  in  corn.  In  the  fall  of  1888,  the  tract  was 
drilled  to  wheat  without  plowing.  Hence,  when  used  in  this  experiment, 
the  seed-bed  had  not  been  plowed  for  two  years. 

May  14,  1890,  on  plat  i,  the  stubble  was  raked  up  and  burned,  and 
the  plat  disked  once,  stirring  the  ground  i  in.  deep,  possibly.  Plat  2  was 
plowed  2  in.  deep;  plat  3,  4  in.;  plat  4,  6  in;  and  plat  5,  8  in.  All  the 
plats  were  harrowed  twice  and  planted  with  Burr's  white  corn,  four  ker- 
nels to  the  hill,  which  were  covered  with  a  hoe  about  i  in.  deep.  May 
23d  the  tract  was  rolled,  at  which  time  the  corn  was  coming  up.  The 
tract  was  scraped  with  sharp  hoes  to  remove  weeds  with  the  least  possible 
disturbance  of  the  soil,  three  times  between  May  28th  and  June  27th. 

The  yield  of  corn  in  bushels  per  acre  was  as  follows: 

TABLE  SHOWING  THE  EFFECT  OF  PREPARATION  OF  SEED-BED  UPON  YIELD,  1890. 


Plat 

Preparation  of  seed-bed. 

Yield  bu.  per  acre. 

i 

Not  plowed  

(6.4 

2 

Plowed  2  inches  deep  

co.o 

•J 

Plowed  4  inches  deep  

3y  y 
60.4 

4 

Plowed  6  inches  deep   ,  

wy.^ 

60.'? 

5 

Plowed  8  inches  deep  

71.7 

It  is  evident  that  on  this  soil  good  crops  of  corn  may  be  raised  with 
differently  prepared  seed-beds,  without  any  stirring  of  the  soil  after  the 
corn  is  planted,  if  the  weeds  are  thoroughly  removed.  The  indications 
are  that  for  this  soil  deep  plowing  in  preparing  the  seed-bed  for  corn  is 
the  best;  but  one  trial  with  one  series  of  plats  is  not  sufficient  to  establish 
a  general  conclusion. 

Experiment  No.  10.     Corn,  Effect  of  Root-pruning. 

Every  other  row  of  the  thirty-six  rows  two  rods  long  of  each  of  the 
eight  plats  described  in  Experiment  No.  8,  was  root-pruned  4  inches  deep. 


iSpt-]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,    1890.  421 

The  object  was  to  cut  the  corn  roots  at  the  distance  from  the  hill  and 
to  the  depth  which  an  ordinary  so-called  deep  cultivator  would  break 
them,  but  without  disturbing  the  soil,  so  that  it  might  be  determined 
whether  such  mutilation  of  the  roots  by  the  cultivator,  without  reference 
to  the  stirring  of  the  soil,  was  harmful. 

After  some  observation  and  measurements,  it  was  decided  that  6  in. 
from  the  hill  would  be  a  fair  distance  at  which  to  sever  the  roots.  A  frame 
one  foot  square,  therefore,  was  placed  over  the  hill,  and  a  knife,  to  which 
was  attached  a  gauge,  was  drawn  along  the  edge  of  the  frame.  In  1888, 
the  root-pruning  was  only  3  in.  deep,  and  it  was  found  that  although  the 
unpruned  portion  gave  the  largest  yield  in  every  instance,  the  average  dif- 
ference was  not  very  large,  being  4  bu.  per  acre  in  favor  of  the  unpruned 
portion.  A  careful  examination  of  the  roots  of  several  growing  corn 
plants  showed  that  three-fourths  of  the  roots  would  not  have  been  broken 
by  root-pruning  or  cultivating  3  in.  deep- 
It  is  believed  also  that  the  deep  cultivator  usually  goes  4  in.  deep.  In 
1889  and  1890  the  corn  was  root-pruned  4  in.  deep.  The  root-pruning 
was  done  in  1890  at  the  second,  third,  and  fourth,  or  last  ordinary  culti- 
vations. At  the  first  pruning  June  3d,  4th,  the  corn  was  about  12  in.  high 
when  the  leaves  were  upstretched.  At  the  second  pruning,  June  iyth,  the 
apparent  height  of  the  corn  was  about  20  in.,  while  the  height  to  tip  of 
upstretched  leaf  was  30  in.  At  the  last  pruning,  June  26th,  27th,  the  ap- 
parent height  varied  from  3  to  4  ft.  The  effect  of  the  root-pruning  was 
marked,  the  pruned  rows  being  almost  a  foot  less  in  height  than  the  un- 
pruned rows.  The  pruned  rows  were  distinctly  smaller  than  the  unpruned 
July  2d.  July  yth,  although  smaller,  the  difference  was  not  so  apparent  as, 
hitherto.  After  the  corn  tassels  the  difference  is  not  so  apparent. 

The  yields  of  the  18  pruned  and  unpruned  rows  are  compared  in  de- 
tail on  p.  422.  There  are  given  288  weights,  involving  144  comparisons.  In. 
134  of  these  comparisons  the  unpruned  rows  yielded  more  than  the  pruned; . 
in  4  the  pruned  and  unpruned  rows-  yielded  alike;  and  in  6  instances  only 
did  the  pruned  yield  more  than  the  unpruned.  With  so  many  compari- 
sons it  is  perfectly  conclusive  that  the  difference  in  yield  was  directly  the; 
result  of  root-pruning. 

Each  season  the  pruned  portion  of  each  of  the  8  plats  yielded  less 
than  the  unpruned  portion.  In  1889,  pruning  4  in.  deep  decreased  the 
average  yield  13.6  bu.,  or  16  per  cent.,  and  in  1890  pruning  the  same 
depth  decreased  the  yield  17.  3  bu.,  or  23  per  cent.  In  1888,  as  already 
explained,  pruning  was  but  3  in.  deep,  which  severed  a  small  portion  only 
of  the  roots,  as  shown  by  Experiment  No.  54.,  and  decreased  the  yield  but 
4^  per  cent. 

The  least  decrease  in  yield  from  pruning  4  in.  deep  in  any  plat  either 
season  was  a  little  less  than  12  per  cent,  while  the  greatest  decrease  was 
30  per  cent.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  decrease  in  yield  was  di- 
rectly due  to  cutting  the  roots.  It  will  be  noticed  that  while  the  root- 
pruning  decreased  the  yield  16  per  cent,  in  1889  and  23  per  cent,  in  1890, 


422 


BULLETIN   NO.  13. 


{February, 


the  decrease  in  yield 'in  the  deep  cultivated  plats  was  10.8  and  7.2  per  cent., 
respectively,  less  than  on  the  shallow  cultivated  plats.  The  cultivation 
was  all  one  way,  while  the  root-pruning  was  on  all  four  sides  at  each  prun- 
ing. This  is  quite  sufficient  to  account  for  the  greater  decrease  in  yield 
from  root-pruning  over  that  from  deep  cultivation.  While  it  is  probable 
that  the  decrease  in  yield  from  deep  over  that  from  shallow  cultivation 
would  have  been  greater  had  the  cultivation  been  in  both  directions,  it 
is  not  probable  that  the  decrease  would  have  been  as  great^as  that  caused 
by  the  root-pruning  of  these  experiments;  for  the  roots  were  pruned  on 
all  four  sides  of  the  hill  at  once,  while  the  cultivation  would  break  the 
roots  on  but  two  sides  at  a  time,  the  roots  on  the  other  sides  being  left 
undisturbed  until  the  next  cultivation.  Moreover,  j  udging  from  the  growth 
of  the  corn,  the  greatest  injury  to  the  corn  is  done  at  the  last  cultivation.  At 
this  time  the  roots  on  but  two  sides  are  disturbed, while  in  the  experiments  in 
root-pruning,  they  were  severed  on  four  sides  to  the  depth  of  4  in.  In 

TABLE  SHOWING  EFFECT  OF  ROOT-PRUNING;  YIELD,  POUNDS  OF  EAR  CORN,  1890. 


Row. 

Plat  I. 

Plat  2. 

Plat  3. 

Plat  4. 

Plat  5. 

Plat  6. 

Plat  7. 

Plat  8. 

I 

Pruned   ...       

10 

8.5 

8.5 

7 

8 

12 

12  C 

' 

Unpruned  

14.1; 

13 

n«s 

n 

11 

12.  C. 

IC.C 

1C 

Pruned  

8.c 

Q."> 

Q."> 

Q.C 

Q.e 

12 

IO 

H 

Unpruned  

14 

12.5 

13 

II 

IV  5 

1  1-5 

IO.C 

1C."? 

Pruned  

n 

12 

8.5 

IO 

II 

8.c 

II.  e 

'II 

31 

Unpruned    

ii 

14.1; 

IV  5 

II.  S 

IS.C 

12.  C 

14..  c 

1C. 

Pruned  

10 

q.C 

•12.  C 

7 

Q-C 

II 

II.  C 

4I 

Unpruned    

16 

IVS 

12.  C 

14 

12.  C. 

12 

IO 

IT..C 

Pruned  

il 

II 

9 

8.5 

II 

8 

II 

IO 

s 

Unpruned    

13-5 

I4o 

iv> 

12.  C 

16 

ii 

14 

17 

Pruned  

12.5 

12-5 

12 

IO 

IO 

8 

II.  C 

II 

6 

Unpruned  

17.  C 

1C 

14.  c 

I4.C 

14 

12 

12 

IV? 

Pruned  

13.5 

IO.C 

9.5 

II 

IO 

7-5 

12 

II.  S 

7 

Unpruned  

II 

16 

12 

I5.C 

14.5 

15 

IC.C 

n 

0    \ 

Pruned  

II 

12.5 

13 

6 

Q 

IO.C 

12 

*\ 

Unpruned  

13 

14 

15 

14 

17 

15.5 

•V.J 

i6.c 

n 

Pruned  

12 

12 

II 

ii.  5 

9.5 

12 

it 

9\ 

Unpruned  

1C 

16 

IVC 

12.5 

13 

1C 

12 

I1.C. 

Pruned  

II 

14.5 

10-5 

85 

0 

II 

IO 

ii 

10  j 

Unpruned  

14 

16 

14 

12 

15 

13 

16.5 

14 

Pruned  

10-5 

13 

9.5 

9 

12 

12 

10.5 

ii 

ll\ 

Unpruned  

15 

13 

13.5 

12 

15 

12.5 

15.  c 

ii 

Pruned  

10-5 

12.5 

II 

8.5 

IO 

85 

II 

12 

12  •! 

Unpruned  

16 

12 

13.5 

13.5 

15.5 

13 

I4.C 

14 

Pruned  

IO.C 

9-5 

10-5 

8-5 

10.5 

n-5 

12 

9 

13  I 

Unpruned  

15.5 

14.5 

15 

12 

14 

12.5 

IVS 

13.5 

I 

Pruned  

12 

12.5 

12.5 

9 

IO.5 

10.5 

13 

10 

14 

Unpruned  

13.5 

10 

12 

10.5 

12.5 

13.5 

13.5 

11 

r 

Pruned    

12 

ii 

"•5 

10 

ii-5 

IO 

12 

12 

15  1 

Unpruned    ... 

IC.C 

14.  c 

14.; 

10.5 

13 

1C 

13 

13 

^  I 

Pruned  

13.5 

10.5 

12 

8,5 

11.5 

9.5 

14 

II 

16 

Unpruned  

14.5 

13.5 

15-5 

IO 

13.5 

10.5 

16.5 

!5-5 

Pruned  

10-5 

II 

9-5 

9-5 

8.5 

12-5 

n-5 

17  1 

Unpruned  

10 

14.5 

13 

13.5 

iS 

12.5 

16* 

13 

L     ( 

Pruned  

13 

10.5 

9.5 

8.5 

9 

9-5 

13 

ii 

IS 

Unpruned  

14 

14 

14.5 

14 

13 

12.5 

14.5 

15.5 

_      ,     (  Pruned  

205 

201.5 

188.5 

162 

180 

166 

211.5 

2OI 

Total    }  Unpruned  

249.5 

251 

246.5 

226.5 

257.5 

232 

254 

253.5 

FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,  1890. 


423 


TABLE   SHOWING  EFFECT  OF  ROOT-PRUNING;   YIELD  IN  BUSHELS   PER  ACRE  FROM 

PRUNED  AND  UNPRUNED  PARTS  OF  PLATS  WITH  DIFFERENCE,  l888,  1889,  1890. 


2 
p 

Kind  of  cultivation. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

7 

5 
n 
(L 

cj 

*t3 
•-i 

3 

n 
a. 

O 

i 

3 

o 

n 

V 

a 

n 
P* 

C 

3 

13 

3 
n 
P* 

O 

I? 

i 

o 

n> 

h3 

s 

o 
(I 
ft. 

cj 
•o 

>-( 

§ 

n 
ft. 

d 

55 
a 
>-t 
n 

n 

p 

i 

2 

3 
4 

6 

I 

Hoed   ordinary  .       

92.3 
85-5 
93-4 
85-2 

01 

83.2 
92.8 
83.2 

98.2 
94 
95-3 
86.6 

tf 
87 
95  5 
86.9 

5-9 
8-5 
1.9 

1-4 
6 

3-8 
2.7 

3-7 

69.4 
68.4 
76.9 

73-3 
78-3 
67.6 

75-8 
62.4 

86.2 
85.8 
90.8 

85-4 
90.9 
80.9 

85-9 
75-2 

16.8 

17-4 
13-9 

12.  I 
12.6 

13-3 
10.  1 
12.8 

62.6 

61  1 

57-6 
49-5 
55 
50.7 
64.6 
61.4 

76.2 
76.7 

75-3 
69.2 

78.7 
70.8 
77-6 
77-4 

13-6 
15-2 
17.7 
I9.7 
23.7 
20.1 

\i. 

None,  weeds  scraped  off  •  

Shallow,  once  after  tasseling  

Deep  once  after  tasseling.  .... 

Deep,  ordinary   

Shallow,  frequent  

Deep,  frequent  

Average  

88.3 

92-5 

4.2 

71-5 

85-1 

136 

57-9 

75-2 

i7-3 

the  cultivation,  doubtless,  more  than  one-half  the  roots  to  the  depth  of  4 
in.  are  disturbed,  but  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  hill  than  as  root-pruned 
in  these  experiments. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  experiments  indicate  clearly  that  the  injury 
from  deep  cultivation  is  due  to  the  breaking  of  the  roots,  and  that  the 
stirring  of  the  soil  to  the  depth  employed  has  in  itself  no  compensating 
advantage. 

Experiment  No.  54..      Corn,  Root-growth. 

As  stated  in  former  bulletins,  the  particular  object  of  inquiry  in  this 
experiment  was  to  ascertain  the  number  of  the  roots  of  corn,  and  their 
depth  at  the  points  where  they  were  likely  to  be  disturbed  by  cultivation, 
and  what  proportion  of  all  the  roots  was  likely  to  be  so  injured. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  roots  of  nine  plants  examined  in  1888  was 
given  in  bulletin  No.  4,  of  which  the  following  is  a  summary: 

Nine  plats,  which  averaged  12  in.  high  to  tip  of  highest  leaf,  had  altogether  94  roots, 
or  an  average  of  over  10  apiece.  The  longest  root  traced  was  35  in.,  the  plant  being  22 
in.  high.  A  plant  4^  in.  high  had  a  root  13  in.  long.  Twenty-four  roots  were  examined 
at  6  in.  from  their  base.  One  was  4^  in.  deep;  five,  4  in.;  twelve,  3^  in.;  one,  2^  in.; 
four,  2  in.;  and  one,  %  in.,  at  this  distance  from  the  base  of  the  root.  Three-fourths  of 
the  roots,  therefore,  would  not  have  been  broken  by  root-pruning  or  cultivating  3  in. 
deep;  but  all  except  one  would  have  been,  at  4  in. 

In  1889,  the  roots  of  seven  plants  were  examined,  and  the  following  is 
a  summary  of  the  data  given  in  bulletin  No.  8: 

Of  seven  corn  plants  planted  April  2gth,  4,  averaging  from  5  to  6  in.  high,  were  ex- 
amined May  2ist  and  22d,  and  3,  averaging  15  in.  high  were  examined  June  I5th.  These 
7  plants  had  97  roots  of  which  78  were  traced,  with  a  few  exceptions,  throughout  their 
entire  length.  Forty-eight  roots  were  examined  at  6  in.  from  their  base.  At  this  point 
their  depths  were:  three,  2  in.  deep;  one,  2j£  in.;  seven,  3  in.;  three,  3^  in.;  seventeen, 
4  in.;  two  4^  in.;  five,  5  in.;  two,  5^  in.;  five,  6  in.;  three  went  straight  down. 

Rather  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  roots  would  not  have  been  broken  by  root- 
pruning  or  cultivating  3  in.  deep;  nearly  two-thirds  would  have  been  broken  at  four 
inches  deep. 


424  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February y 

May  15,  1890,  60  kernels  of  Burr's  white  corn  were  planted  in  a  row 
singly,  3  ft.  8  in.  apart,  at  depths — one-third,  i  in.;  one-third,  3  in.;  and 
one-third,  5  in.  The  land  was  a  black  prairie  loam  similar  to  that  used 
in  Experiment  No.  8.  May  24th  there  were  16  plants  up  at  i  in.  deep; 
ii  at  3  in.,  and  i  at  5  in. 

Fifteen  plants  containing  254  roots  were  examined  as  given  in  the 
table  on  pp.  425-427.  In  numbering  the  roots  of  each  plant  the  primary- 
root  is  marked  o.  This  season  this  tedious  work  of  tracing  the  roots  was 
done  by  Mr.  C.  A.  Shamel,  a  senior  student  in  agriculture,  who  has  been  a 
valuable  assistant  during  the  past  year. 

The  following  are  additional  data: 

Plant  i.  Examined  May  24th.  Planted  I  in.  deep.  Height  to  tip  of  tallest  leaf, 
2l/z  in.  One  leaf  expanded,  second  expanding.  Plant  had  four  roots;  the  primary  and 
3  roots  on  the  seminal  whorl. 

Plant  2.  Examined  May  .24th.  Planted  3  in.  deep.  Height,  l/z  in.  No  leaf 
expanded.  Plant  had  3  roots;  the  primary  root  and  2  on  the  seminal  whorl. 

Plant  3-  Examined  May  3ist.  Planted  i  in.  deep.  Height,  7  in.  Had  7  roots  on 
upper  whorl  and  4  on  lower  whorl.  Whorls,  ^  in.  apart. 

Plant  4.  Examined  May  3ist.  Planted  3  in.  deep.  Height  to  tip  of  tallest  leaf,  6- 
in.  Had  10  roots;  5  on  lower  and  5  on  upper  whorl.  Whorls,  1.5  in.  apart. 

Plants.  Examined  May  3 1st.  Planted  5  in.  deep.  Height  to  tip  of  highest  leaf, 
9^  in.  Had  II  roots;  7  on  the  upper  and  4  on  the  lower  whorl.  Whorls,  2  in.  apart. 

Plant  6.  Examined  June  7th.  Planted  I  in.  deep.  Height,  18.5.  Had  14  roots;  6- 
on  the  lower  and  8  on  the  upper  whorl.  Whorls,  ij£  in.  apart. 

Plant  7.  Examined  June  7th.  Planted  3  in.  deep.  Height,  16  in.  Had  14  roots;  2 
on  the  lower  and  12  on  the  upper  whorl.  Whorls,  1.5  in.  apart. 

Plant  8.  Examined  June  8th.  Planted  5  in.  deep.  Height,  16  in.  Had  15  roots;  3. 
on  the  lower  and  12  on  the  upper  whorl.  Whorls,  2  in.  apart.  Upper  whorl,  spread  over 
I  in. 

Plant  9.  Examined  June  I4th.  •  Planted  i  in.  deep.  Height,  28.5  in.  Had  21 
roots;  4  on  the  lower  and  17  on  the  upper  whorl.  Whorls,  %  in.  apart.  Diameter  of 
stalk  between  whorls,  y%  'n-  or  less.  Above  the  upper  whorl  it  is  %  in.  x  ^  in. 

Plant  10.  Examined  June  I4th.  Planted  3  in.  deep.  Height,  25.5  in.  Had  21 
roots.  The  lower  whorl,  either  dead  or  broken  off.  The  upper  whorl,  1.5  to  2  in.  from, 
the  surface  of  the  ground. 

Plant  ii.  Examined  June  I4th.     Planted  5  in.  deep.    Height,  21  in.    Had  19  roots, 
The  seminal  whorl  had  one  root,  the  primary.      Upper  whorl,    18  roots.      The  upper 
whorl  was  3  in.  above  lower  or  seminal  whorl;  the  stem  between  the  two  was  1-16  in 
diameter.     Above  the  upper  whorl  the  stem  is  fy  x  ^  in. 

Plant  12.  Examined  June  2ist.  Planted  I  in.  deep.  Height,  43.5  in.  Had  23 
roots.  Upper  whorl,  I  in.  from  surface  of  the  ground. 

Plant  13.  Examined  June  2ist.  Planted  3  in.  deep.  Height,  38  in.  Had  22 
roots.  Upper  whorl,  1.5  in.  from  surface  of  the  ground. 

Plant  14.  Examined  June  28th.  Planted  I  in.  deep.  Height,  65  in.  Had  35 
roots.  Upper  whorl.  I  in.  from  surface  of  the  ground. 

Plant  15.  Examined  June  28th.  Planted  3  in.  deep.  Height,  62  in.  Had  35 
roots,  of  which  n  (Nos.  25  to  35  of  the  table)  were  what  are  known  as  brace  roots. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,  1890. 


425 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  LENGTH,  DEPTH  AT  THE  END,  AND  6  INCHES  FROM  THE  PLANT 

OF  254  ROOTS  BELONGING  TO  15  CORN  PLANTS   EXAMINED  IN  1890. 


$ 

8, 

T3 

r 

Number  of  root 
traced. 

£ 

-.03 

R 

jf  8, 

r  * 
8 

O 
3  <* 

Ii 

•FR 

"  a 

Jf  3 

S    CL 

'    o 

*i 

g™ 

B-o 

3'g'sr 
«  |  £ 

1*2,  ^ 

'  !T  5' 

I? 

••     tn 

2 

i 

cr 
re 
>i 

0 

12. 
P* 

a 

Number  of  root 
traced. 

f 

5>Cfq 
S  ? 

^0 
rt   —  t 
en 

O 

o^ 

g| 
II 

ffS 
S-g 

s^ 

o 

•-h 

Depth  at  6  inches 
from  base  of  root, 
inches. 

i 

0 

I 

9 

t 

6 

2    C 

4 

7 

o 
i 

28 

*I    e 

15 

3 

2 

3 

6 
6 

3-5 

5 

3-5 
5 

2 

3 

8'5 

22 

4 
8 

5r 

3-5 

2 

2 

o 
i 

8 

4.."; 

4-5 
c 

4 

6 

IZ-5 

7 

2 

•5 
2-5 

2 

2-5 

2 

v» 

5 

7 

17  c 

4 

2 

8 

7. 

3 

0 
I 

12 

e 

6 

5 

» 

9 

IO 

•5 

12 

*2   e 

2 

2 

2 

7 

ii 

•2 

5-5 

I    c 

3-5 

ii 

12 

O- 
12 

17 

5-5 
e    r 

2 
2 

4 

e 

2 

17 

2    e 

e 

r    e 

O 

6 

I 

8 

o 

*8 

6   C 

....          . 

4 

o 

*q 

4 

4 

2 

*I     C 

4 

3-5 

i 

c 

1*5 

7 

13 

7 

2 

2 
7. 

7 

2.S 

5 
3.S 

5 

4 
5 

*8 

*7 

2 

2 

4 

J.    S 

c   c 

6 

7    C 

7.     C 

• 

c 

*  ^ 

6S 

6 

4. 

3 

g 

2    C 

2  <; 

2."? 

2 

9. 

g 

2 

8 

2 

I    c 

10 

e 

q 

I 

ii 

IIC 

e 

7 

5 

o 

IO 

7 

n 

2 

I 

4.5 

4.< 

14 

I 

2 

Se 

c    c 

3 

O 
IO 

->O 

7 

q 

o 

*q 

e 

4 

4.   1 

5 

i 

*77     C 

7 

5 

4  ? 

2 

i'  •  J 

*7 

6 

V» 

^.S 

•J 

17 

c    e 

•j   e 

7 

7 

4. 

II 

e    e 

3c 

8 

e    e 

^  ? 

5 

*27   e 

2 

q 

I  .C 

4.  "5 

6 

JO 

9c 

IO 

ImK 

^  i; 

.   7 

2q 

e 

7. 

6 

o 
I 
2 

4 

8 

*4."; 

6 
3-5 

3-5 
3-5 

9 

10 

ii 

1J-S 
t6 

*2O 

*iq 

5 
4 
7 

12 

3 

4 
3 

7 

3 

3 

5 

3 

12 

*s 

C 

4 

7 

17 

IQ 

7 

•5 

6 

7 

*6 
3i 

20 

3 
»9 

7 

3 
3 
4 

14 
15 

16 

II 

*36-S 

*I2 

4 

14.5 

2.5 
3 
3 

8 

II 

7 

5 

17 

I 

9 

10 

II 

2.5 

2-5 

7 

2-5 

1  8 

IO 

'I 

S 
2  <; 

2 
2    <J 

ii 

5.5 

2 

20 

22    C 

2 

12 

I 

13 

2 

10 

i 

*2T. 

ii 

2.C 

426 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


[February, 


TABLE— Continued. 


Number  of  plant. 

Number  of  root 
traced. 

r 

a 

a 

J-.OQ 

g  S1 
18, 

OJ  ••" 

1 

O 

-t  a 
O  "T3 

«? 

5'S- 

Is 

f»  2 

en  PJ 
O 

Depth  at  6  inches 
from  base  of  root, 
inches. 

3 

c 
S 
cr 
a 
•t 

o^ 

•Q 
^ 

Number  of  root 
traced. 

z 

a 

sfe 

o  3- 

^^ 

1 

r 

3^ 
o*S 

•^  sr 
—  P 

B  "• 

s-s 

8  p. 

O 

Depth  at  6  inches 
from  base  of  root, 
inches. 

10 

2 

3 
4 

I 

7 

7.5 
24 

*28 

t7 
17.5 
13 

3-5 
7 
7 
3 
6 

3-5 
2-5 
2-5 
3 
3 

12 

14 

11 

17 
18 

IO 

16 

*32 

*36 
39 
17 

1C 

17 
19 
23 

10 

7 

14 

8 

4 
5 
4 

2-5 

8 

8 

20 

g 

7 

7 

9 

8 

21 

26.1; 

12 

4 

10 

ii 

12 

*23'5 
*32 

1C 

7 

10 

e  c 

2-5 

3 

t  C 

22 
23 

16 
33 

17 
12 

7 
i 

13 

14 
15 

»6 
*i8 
4-5 

18 

9 
3 

*o 

4 
3-5 

»3 

I 

2 
7 

*20 

*9 
26 

4 

i 

2 

4 
4 

16 

17 
18 

10 

*i8.5 

12 
II 

.C 

9 
5-5 

5 

3 
3 

2 

4 

6 
7 

32 
*i8.5 

*9 

12 

I-5 

10 

13 

4 

2 

7 
7."» 

20 

e 

8 

27 

8  c 

S.c. 

21 

c 

^?6 

6'5 

e 

IO 

S 

II 

0 
I 

2 

*27 
*I9.S 
*C 

14-5 
8 

5 
4 

ii 

12 

n  • 

*34 
25 
*n 

14 
9 

3 
4 
6 

3 

A 

9 

i 

8 

6 

14 

1C 

22.5 

*7O  e 

7 

7 

4 

7 

5 

9 

16 

•5  O 

9 

2 

I 

6 

9 
10 

*I4 
*9-5 

*22 

34 
i  c. 

»4 
8 

7 

IO 

7 

6 

5 
4 
4 

17 
18 

19 

20 
21 

25 

'3-5 
7-5 
30 

15  e 

9 

h 

12 

5 
5 
7 
3 
3 

ii 

4*3 

l6-5 
18  e 

II 

IO  C 

5 

5r 

22 

33 

7 

4 

17 

10-5 
10  c 

7 

•5 

I 

c 

e 

14 
15 

16 

17 
18 

„   -5 

*2I 
*23 
IO 

*19'5 

*ig 

IO 

8 
6-5 
8-5 
9-5- 

4 
3 
5 
3-5 
3-5 

J4 

2 

3 

4 

6 

7 

6 
6 
6  ' 
*48 

*28 
*C2 

•5 
3 
4 
24 
9 

27 

•5 
3 
4 
3 
3 

2  C. 

12 

i 

2 

3 

4 

e 

28 

10 

18 

*25-5 

*7O 

20 
5 
7 
24 
88 

2-5 
4 
2-5 
4 

c 

8 
9 

10 

ii 

12 

49 
*9 

*34 
40 
e 

19 

4 

20 

32 

I 

3 
3 

S'5 

6 

*22 

1C 

c  e 

17 

c 

I 

16 

32 

4 

16 

21 
<«< 

6-5 
i 

14 

;i 

6 

*45 
6 

5 
25 

7 

5 
3 
3 

10 

I 

2 

17 

I7? 

7 

4 

ii 

12 

17 

7 

18 

4 

12 
»3 

36 

*53 

IO 

36 

6 

5-5 

19 

20 

*3Q 
28 

13 
28 

4-5 
7 

FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,   1890. 


427 


TABLE—  Continued. 


Number  of 

Number  of 
traced, 

f1 
fj 

3 

f* 

O    (p 

?° 
§| 

s-o-s- 
5  p  P 

s-s  £ 

2  8,-. 

Number  of 

Number  of 
traced 

rT 

9 
0   ? 

S's. 

01 

•f*  5. 
g-p. 
5-« 

o  n 

3   P   ts 
O   en   p; 

T3 

3 

'     0 

n 

'  ?i 

*2- 

•-! 

'  3 

of3 

•        *•*!  g* 

&" 

O 

0 

O 

*     o 

li1 

&" 

O 
0 

0 

U    P' 

Ifr 

r* 

rt-  H) 
•       W 

O 

ii  f» 

14 

21 

31 

3i 

7 

15 

II 

14 

I5 

7 

22 

18 

29 

7 

12 

»5 

16 

7 

23 

19 

20 

7 

13 

*35-5 

30 

4-5 

24 

23 

24 

7 

14 

*26 

24 

7 

25 

8 

3 

2 

15 

23 

22 

7 

26 

9 

3-5 

2 

16 

15 

2 

i 

Z 

*i6 
8 

3-5 

4-5 

3 

17 
18 

*44 
16 

28 
15 

4 
6 

29 

*20 

21 

7 

»9 

*2I 

II 

5 

30 

*S° 

33 

2-5 

20 

51.5 

30 

2 

<2  I 

^2C 

20 

21 

^t  j-2 

17 

2 

32 

*42 

33 

4 

22 

40 

*  / 
10 

2 

')'! 

44 

20 

21 

e-i 

27 

2-5 

34 

^^ 

37 

s 

32 

S 

24 

DO 
25 

^O 

7 

35 

*^2    ^ 

32 

7 

25 

I  ."» 

.c 

26 

j 
2    C 

J 
| 

1C 

i 

26 

12 

2 

27 

••5 

4 

I.C 

j 

2 

42 

IO 

2 

28 

1.5 

J 

.C 

7 

23 

18 

6 

20 

"  J 

2 

J 
.C 

*J 

4 

48 

1C 

2 

!7 

2.C 

J 

.  C 

T^ 

c 

•fV 

*J 

15 

4 

,j 

J 
2 

•  J 

I 

6 

*i* 

•J 

14 

6 

32 

5 

1.5 



7 

21 

22 

7 

33 

4 

I 

8 

22 

23 

7 

4 

I 

g 

48.5 

v/ 

10 

3 

35 

3 

.5 

7 

10 

»             J 

20 

21 

7 

J 

*Broken  off  at  the  length  given. 
tRotted  off  at  the  length  given. 

Summary.  In  1890,  fifteen  corn  plants  were  examined  during  five 
weeks  of  corn  cultivation  from  May  24  to  June  28,  and  were  found  to 
contain  254  roots.  At  the  first  week  of  examination,  when  the  plants  were 
from  i  to  2%  in.  high,  there  were  3  and  4  roots  per  plant.  At  the  last  ex- 
amination, when  the  plants  were  62  to  65  in.  high,  they  had  35  roots  apiece. 
The  longest  root  traced  was  53  in.,  while  another  was  found  which  was 
51.5  in.  long.  Three  were  broken  off  at  50  in.  or  more,  probably  near 
their  end.  Twelve  were  traced  between  40  and  50  in.  some  of  which 
were  broken  at  the  lengths  given. 

The  depth  of  the  root  at  six  inches  from  its  base,  where  it  is  likely  to 
be  disturbed  by  cultivation,  was  ascertained  in  179  instances. 

Two-thirds  of  the  roots  would  have  been  broken  by  root-pruning  4 
in.  deep;  more  than  two-fifths  would  have  been  broken  at  3  in.  deep;  and 
one-seventh  at  2  in  deep.  [See  table,  p.  228.] 

In  1890,  as  in  1889,  it  was  found  that  the  depth  of  planting  had  little 
or  nothing  to  do  with  the  depth  at  which  the  roots  grew.  The  first  whorl 
of  roots,  other  than  those  distinctly  at  the  seed,  which  generally,  if  not 
always,  die,  began  to  grow  at  from  i  to  2  in.  from  the  surface  of  the  soil, 
without  reference  to  the  depth  at  which  the  seed  was  planted.  The  stem 


428 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


[February, 


TABLE  SHOWING   DEPTH  IN  INCHES  OF  179  ROOTS  OF  CORN  PLANTS  AT  6  INCHES 

FROM   THEIR   BASES. 


Number  of  roots. 

Depth  6  in.  from  base. 

Number  of  roots. 

Depth  6  in.  from  base. 

I 

4 

o-5 
i 

4 
18 

4-5 

5 

i 

22 

16 

i-5 

2 
2-5 

•   4 

9 
i 

5-5 
6 

6-5 

35 

3 

21 

7 

13 

28 

3-5 
4 

I 
I 

I'5 

between  the  seed  and  the  first  nodal  whorl  of  roots  is  simply  elongated 
and  more  slender  if  the  seed  is  planted  deeper.  Nothing  is  gained,  there- 
fore, by  planting  deeper  than  two  or  three  inches  in  this  soil,  unless  the 
dryness  of  the  soil  makes  it  essential.  On  the  other  hand,  if  it  is  neces- 
sary to  plant  deeper  on  account  of  the  dryness  of  the  soil,  or  to  plant 
some  of  the  corn  deeper  where  planting  with  a  corn  planter  on  uneven 
ground  so  that  all  the  corn  may  be  covered,  both  the  study  of  the  roots 
and  the  results  of  Experiment  No.  4,  Depth  of  Planting,  indicate  that  lit- 
tle, if  any,  harm  will  result. 

Experiment  No.  24.     Corn,  Effect  of  fertilizers. 

Nine  trials  of  the  effect  of  fertilizers  when  applied  to  corn  on  the 
prairie  soil  of  Illinois  were  reported  in  bulletin  No.  8,  pp.  266-272.  In 
these  trials  no  practical  benefit  was  obtained  from  the  use  of  commercial 
fertilizers,  and  moreover,  but  little  effect,  if  any,  of  any  kind.  The  condi- 
tions of  soil,  climate,  and  culture  under  which  those  trials  were  made  were 
not,  it  was  pointed  out,  very  different  from  those  under  which  the  bulk  of 
this  great  crop  is  raised.  The  increased  yields  from  the  use  of  stable 
manure  probably  repaid  the  cost  of  the  application  and  left  some  profit; 
but  clearly  the  value  of  the  stable  manure  was  not  equal  to  the  estimates 
often  made,  based  upon  the  cost  of  commercial  fertilizers  containing  like 
quantities  of  plant  food. 

Under  this  heading  will  be  reported  two  more  trials,  and  under  the 
next  heading  one  more,  from  which  essentially  the  same  results  have  been 
obtained  as  heretofore. 

Two  tracts  have  been  used  in  this  experiment.  Tract  [a]  was  used 
in  1888,  1889,  and  1890.  The  tract  consists  of  twelve  plats  each  2x8 
rods,  or  one-tenth  ot  an  acre.  The  preparation  of  the  seed-bed  and  the 
planting  of  corn  was  each  year  the  same  as  described  in  Experiment  No.  8. 

In  1890,  the  stable  manure  was  spread  on  April  lyth.  In  1889,  the 
commercial  fertilizers  were  sown  broadcast  just  after  the  corn  was  planted; 
and  in  1888,  they  were  spread  about  the  hills.  As  neither  of  these  methods 
gave  any  results,  in  1890,  the  plan  of  applying  in  handfuls  directly  to  the 
hills  was  adopted  to  ascertain  whether  a  comparatively  concentrated  ap- 
plication would  have  any  effect,  good  or  bad.  The  fertilizers  were  put  on. 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS   WITH    CORN,  1890. 


429 


immediately  after  the  corn  was  planted.  The  corn  was  cultivated  with  a 
shallow  cultivator  five  times  in  1888  and  4  times  in  1889  and  1890.  Any 
weeds  remaining  in  the  hills  were  removed  with  a  hoe  or  by  hand. 

Of  the  fertilizers  used  in  1890,  the  dissolved  bone-black  was  from  a  lot 
purchased  in  the  spring  of  1888.  A  sample  of  this  was  analyzed  at  that  time 
with  results  as  shown  in  the  following  table.  Samples  of  the  other  fer- 
tilizers were  analyzed  in  January,  1891,  with  results  as  shown  in  the  table. 
These  last  samples  were  all  very  dry  when  analyzed. 

'TABLE  SHOWING  PARTIAL  ANALYSIS  OF  FERTILIZERS  USED  IN  1890,  PERCENTAGES. 


M 

E 

A 

g 

M 

Phosphoric  acid. 

Equivalent  to 

cr 

>> 

5 

O 

-*:*•"** 

o 

HH 

P 

i 

£ 

O 

§  § 

W 

m 

» 

i—  i 

a 

i 

13     ^ 

Tl       E. 

s 

n 

p 

W 

£7 

£• 

o 

S    3 

°  a 

Z  *%. 

a 

8 

10 

» 

0* 

c 

0.     P 

M       S 

P       p 

i^ 

0 

r* 

n 

f? 

cr 

P   n 

s>*  ** 

B-  n 

• 

B 

P- 

ft 

2- 

o 

o 

24 

Dissolved  bone-black  

3.36 

4.08 

20.75 

20.24 

214 

16 

IQ  A.T, 

Q7  17 

215 

Dissolved  bone  

1.26 

11.72 

o-73 

9-57 

1.42 



5H 

Sulphate  of  ammonia  

21.20 

25-75 



Muriate  of  potash 

56.08 

88.20 

518 

Sulphate  of  potash  

43.28 

Hog  tankage  

6.  20 

7-53 

0.27 

12.70 

517 

Cattle  tankage         . 

3-84 

4.66 

O.2I 

2393 

A  mechanical  analysis  of  the  cattle  tankage  and  hog  tankage  gave  the 


following  results: 
Passed  holes, 

Coarser  than 


-50  inch 

•25     « 

-12      " 

6       " 
-6       « 


Hog  tankage, 
per  cent. 


13-4 
7-5 
7-3 


Cattle  tankage, 

per  cent. 

6l.7 

20.5 

10.6 

3-9 

3-3 


IOO.O 


No  difference  was  observable  in  the  date  of  tasseling  or  maturity,  or 
at  any  time  in  vigor  of  growth,  that  could  be  attributed  with  any  certainty 
to  any  of  the  fertilizers  used,  with  the  exception  of  plat  i,  on  which  in 
1889  and  1890  the  corn  made  a  somewhat  stronger  growth  than  on  the 
other  plats. 

October  23,  24,  1890,  the  corn  was  husked  and  weighed.  October 
28th,  a  5o-pound  sample  yielded  40.25  Ib.  of  shelled  corn  containing  17.6 
per  cent,  of  water.  It  would  take  75  Ib.  of  ear-corn,  therefore,  to  produce 
a  bushel  of  air-dry  shelled  corn. 

There  was  an  increased  yield  of  9  bu.  per  acre  on  the  plat  fertilized 
with  stable  manure  each  season  over  those  plats  receiving  no  manure.  The 
average  yield  of  corn  on  the  8  plats  treated  with  commercial  fertilizers 
was  about  i  bu.  less  than  on  the  2  plats  receiving  no  manure.  On  no  plat 
so  treated  was  the  yield  over  2  bu.  more  than  on  those  receiving  no  fer- 
tilizers. 


43° 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


\_February, 


TABLE  SHOWING  RESULTS  FROM   APPLICATION  OF  FERTILIZERS  NAMED  UPON  CORN 

PLATS,  1888,  1889,  1890. 


Fertilizers    applied   in    1  888 
and  1889. 

Pounds  per 
acre. 

?p 
#*" 

?T3   g 

S.3 

Bushels  of  shelled  corn  per  acre. 

1888 

1889 

1890 

Average 

I 

2 

3 
4 

6 

7 
8 
9 

10 

ii 

12 

1  Stable  manure  

40,250 
350 

100 

-350) 

100  j 

53o 

97 
99 
99 

99 

99 

96 

95 

95 
95 

94 
90 

94 

82 
69 
75 
74 
70 
67 

74 

73 
75 

74 
69 
70 

7i 

83 

Hog  tankage   .... 

Muriate  of  potash  

392 
412 

408 
392 

408 

414 
446 
412 

3£ 
366 

52 
55 

54 

52 

54 

55 
59 

55 
42 

49 

75 
76 

74 
72 

74 

74 
76 

74 
67 
7i 

j  Hog  tankage   

|  Muriate  of  potash.  .         . 

None  

Cattle  tankage  

200 
400) 
100  > 

125) 

400 

100  j 
125) 

(  Superphosphate  ' 

*  -J  Muriate  of  potash  

(  Sulphate  of  ammonia..  .  . 
Superphosphate  

j  Muriate  of  potash. 

|  Sulphate  of  ammonia..  .  . 
None  

Sulphate  of  ammonia  

125 

160 

Nitrate  of  soda  

Unit 

300  Ib. 


9,  51,650  Ib.;  in  1890,  20  loads.     «In  1888,  Bone  meal,  200  Ib.     Sin  1888,  Dissolved  bone-black, 


In  bulletin  No.  8,  pp.  270-2,  was  reported  a  trial  in  1889,  on  tract  [b] 
of  the  application  of  very  large  quantities  of  commercial  fertilizers — 
much  larger  than  would  be  profitable — to  determine  whether  on  the  soil 
in  this  locality  any  result  whatever  could  be  obtained. 

The  tract  of  land  selected,  which  was  considered  relatively  poor,  was 
divided  into  7  plats,  each  2x4  rods.  In  1890  no  fertilizers  were  applied, 
but  the  tract  was  again  planted  to  corn  to  determine  whether  any  effect 
might  be  obtained  the  second  season.  The  tract  has  since  been  sown  to 
wheat  to  ascertain  whether  any  benefit  will  result  to  the  wheat. 

May  6,  1890,  the  tract  was  plowed,  harrowed  twice,  and  planted  to 
Burr's  white  corn,  four  kernels  to  a  hill.  The  corn  was  cultivated  four 
times  with  a  shallow  cultivator  and  the  weeds  remaining  in  the  hills  were 
removed  with  a  hoe. 

The  corn  was  cut  and  shocked  September  i6th;  husked  corn  and 
weighed  stover  October  i8th  to  2oth,  and  weighed  corn  November  ist. 

Each  season  the  average  yield  from  the  three  unfertilized  plats  was  a 
little  more  than  the  average  yield  from  fertilized  plats. 

In  the  principal  markets  for  fertilizers  the  cost  per  acre  for  the  fertil- 
izers used,  which  were  purposely  made  excessive  in  amount,  was  for  plat 
i,  $56;  for  plat  3,  $26;  for  plat  5,  $g;  and  for  plat  7,  $21.  In  1889,  the 
average  yield  pfr  acre  of  the  plats  so  treated  was  86.3  bu.;  and  for  the 
three  receiving  no  manure,  it  was  87.5  bu.  In  1890,  for  the  plats 
treated  the  yield  was  55.8  bu.,  and  for  the  plats  receiving  no  manure  it  was 
57-7  bu. 


1891.] 


FIELD   EXPERIMENTS   WITH    CORN,  1890. 


431 


TABLE  SHOWING    YIELDS  IN  1889  AND  1890  FROM  PLATS  UPON  WHICH  HAD  BEEN 
PUT  COMMERCIAL  FERTILIZERS  IN  LARGE  AMOUNTS  IN  1889. 


Fertilizers  applied   in   1889   only. 

Pounds 
pr.  acre. 

No.     of    ears 
per  acre. 

Pounds  stover 
per  acre. 

Bu.    air  dry 
corn  pr.  acre 

1889. 

1890. 

1889. 

1890. 

1889. 

1890. 

(  Dissolved  bone-black  

2,000) 

6ool 
600) 

9,940 

10,620 
10,260 
11,140 
10,280 
10,420 
10,140 

7,480 

8,480 

7,52° 
8,  1  80 
8,620 
8,580 

8,200 

5,900 

5,160 
4,700 
4,620 
4,880 

4,5°° 
4,920 

3,200 

3,800 
3.48o 
3,800 
4,040 
4,000 
3.840 

85 

89 
86 

89 
85 
85 
90 

50 

58 
53 

& 

60 
60 

•j  Sulphate  of  potash  ... 
(  Sulphate  of  ammonia  

None    ..        

Dissolved  bone-black  

2,000    « 

None    

Sulphate  of  potash  

600 

Sulphate  of  ammonia  

600 

Experiment  No.  23.     Rotations  with   Corn,   Oats,  and  Meadow,  and  with 
Corn  and  Oats  compared  with  continuous  Culture  of  Corn. 

This  experiment  is  introduced  here  on  account  of  its  bearing  upon 
the  question  of  the  application  of  fertilizers  for  the  production  of  corn. 

Briefly,  ten  half-acre  plats,  5  by  16  rods,  have  been  cropped  during 
the  past  14  years  as  follows:  Plats  i,  2,  and  3  have  been  in  corn  con- 
tinuously; plat  4  in  corn  and  oats  alternately;  and  plats  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  and 
10  have  had  this  rotation:  Corn,  2  years;  oats,  i  year;  meadow,  clover, 
timothy,  or  both,  three  years. 

From  plats  i,  2,  and  3  both  corn  and  stalks  have  been  removed.  Plat 
i  has  had  a  liberal  application  of  stable  manure  each  year.  There  was 
applied  per  acre  in  1888,  about  20  tons  of  stable  manure,  and  in  1889,  a 
little  over  28  tons,  and  in  1890,  about  20  tons.  Plat  3  has  had  no  fertilizer 
of  any  kind  applied.  Up  to  1881,  plat  2  had  an  occasional  application  of 
commercial  fertilizers,  but  none  since.  May  17  and  18,  1888,  two  weeks 
after  corn  was  planted,  and  after  it  was  well  up,  the  following  fertilizers 
were  applied  along  the  row,  care  being  taken  not  to  have  them  come  in 
contact  with  the  corn. 

Dissolved  bone-black 150      Ib. 

Muriate  of  potash 50       " 

Sulphate  of  ammonia 62.5  " 

In  1889  and  1890,  a  similar  application  of  fertilizers  was  made,  with 
the  exception  that  sulphate  instead  of  muriate  of  potash  was  used,  and 
the  fertilizer  was  applied  before  the  corn  was  up. 

The  half  acre  which  had  been  manured  13  years  successively  with 
stable  manure  yielded  in  1888  about  one-fourth;  in  1889,  after  another 
liberal  application  of  stable  manure,  about  three-fourths;  and  in  1890, 
after  still  another  liberal  application  of  stable  manure,  about  one-third 
more  corn  than  the  unfertilized  half  acre  upon  which  corn  has  been  raised 
continuously  for  15  years.  Averaged  for  the  three  years,  the  plat  which 
received  stable  manure  yielded  about  38  per  cent,  more  than  the  plat  not 
fertilized.  The  average  increase  in  yield  was  18.4  bu.  per  acre.  At  35.7 


432 


BULLETIN    NO.   13. 


[February, 


TABLE  SHOWING  FOR  1888,  1889,  AND  1890  RESULTS  WITH  ROTATION  EXPERIMENT. 


W 

v<    O 

tc 

e 

•-i 

03 
B 

er  en 

•        < 

t~ 

Crop   grown, 

o  n> 

M        n 

0     i—.  -1 

Crop    grown, 

o  ? 

n  % 

Crop   grown, 

o  n 

S  —  5 

1888. 

n  *> 

1889. 

n>  5T 

1890. 

ft  "> 

s  ?•-» 

h3   ^ 

1? 

Q  p* 

• 

*O 

•o  3 

n  < 

^ 

rt  v^ 

n 

C6    -" 

»-t  •• 

.    • 

i 

"«  - 

68  7 

4.640 

Corn   

77.4 

Corn        .      .  . 

ee    i 

3  3Q2 

•7 

Corn      

1:7  4 

3,840 

Corn  

4C  .0 

Corn  

41  .  e 

2,680 

Corn         

C4.  -J 

2.S7S 

Corn  

43.2 

Corn    .      >.  .  , 

48  7 

2,380 

3.O7O 

Oats   

17.4 

I.77C 

Corn 

C4   •} 

C 

Oats  

48  6 

2,145 

Med'm   clover. 

8.080 

Med'm  clover. 

3,OIO 

6 

Oats   

18 

1,665 

Med'm  'clover. 

6,665 

Med'm  clover. 

2.QOO 

7 

Mam'th  clover. 

3,O3O 

Mam'th  clover. 

Corn  

6l    Q 

2,088 

s 

Med'm  clover 

3.O4? 

Corn  

$6.4. 

Corn    ... 

2,664. 

6l   2 

3.  1  2O 

Corn   

CQ  1 

Oats 

TO 

Corn  .  . 

Oats  .  . 

;o 

3,6i;o 

Med'm  clover. 

4.680 

cents  per  bushel,  the  average  farm  price*  of  corn  in  Illinois  during  12  years 
[1876-1887]  this  increase  would  be  worth  yearly  $6.56.  The  plat  receiv- 
ing commercial  fertilizers  yielded  during  the  three  years,  a  little  less,  al- 
though practically  the  same,  than  the  plats  receiving  no  fertilizer  of  any 
kind. 

G.  E.  MORROW,  A.  M.,  Agriculturist. 

T.  F.  HUNT,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 


GARDEN  EXPERIMENTS  WITH  SWEET  CORN,  1890. 

Experiment  No.  49.     Sweet  Corn,  Testing  Varieties. 

In  the  following  article  the  grouping  of  sweet  corn,  described  in  bul- 
letins ft os.  4  and  8,  has  been  revised  so  as  to  bring  together  those  so-called 
varieties  that  were  nearly  enough  the  same  to  appear  to  justify  such  a 
classification.  Several  of  the  varieties  still  left  as  distinct  are  so  much 
alike  that  for  all  practical  purposes  they  might  be  considered  the  same. 
There  are  but  very  few  varieties  so  distinct  that  each  does  not  approach 
one  or  more  other  varieties  so  nearly  that  the  line  of  separation  is  very 
faint.  The  method  of  selection  is  evidently  different  among  the  various 
seed  growers,  and  their  facilities  for  keeping  varieties  separate  must  in 
many  cases  be  very  imperfect,  since  we  get  from  the  same  dealer  in  dif- 
ferent years  seed  under  the  same  name,  but  differing  so  much  as  not  to 
be  recognized  as  the  same.  For  instance,  Creedmoor  was  described  in 

•See  Report  U.  S.  Dep't  of  Agriculture,  1887,  p.  536. 


1891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    SWEET    CORN,   1890.  433 

1889  as  a  distinct  variety,  and  certainly  was  not  like  Hickox;  while  in 
1890,  corn  grown  from  Creedmoor  seed  from  the  same  dealer  could  not 
be  distinguished  from  the  Hickox.  In  a  majority,  of  cases  when  seed  of 
the  same  name  has  been  purchased  from  different  sources  the  crop  har- 
vested has  been  different,  in  many  cases  the  differences  being  as  great  as 
would  be  seen  on  comparing  the  crop  with  some  other  recognized  variety. 
Not  only  that,  but  in  many  cases  the  varieties  as  sent  out  by  the  same 
dealer  at  the  same  time  were  each  so  lacking  in  uniformity  that  they  might 
easily  have  been  separated  into  two  or  more  groups,  each  group  having 
the  appearance  of  a  distinct  variety. 

In  giving  time  of  reaching  edible  maturity  from  planting,  the  earliest 
ears  of  each  plat  were  the  ones  taken  for  the  plat.  The  differences  in 
average  time  for  the  three  years  is  attributed  to  the  differences  of  seasons, 
since  corn  grows  and  matures  faster  in  hot  than  in  cold  weather.  But  the 
differences  in  plats  of  the  same  variety,  the  same  season,  must  come  from 
other  causes.  Those  most  likely  to  produce  this  effect  are  [i]  using  the 
earliest  ears,  and  saving  the  latest  for  seed,  and  [2]  mixing  with  the  ear- 
lier or  later  varieties.  In  the  case  of  Stowell's  evergreen  the  different  plats 
showed  a  variation  in  time  of  reaching  edible  maturity  of  five  days  in 
1888,  of  10  days  in  1889,  while  in  1890,  three  plats  grown  from  seed  of 
our  own  saving  were  all  ready  for  use  at  the  same  time.  The  typical  ear 
of  Stowell's  is  large,  tapering  but  little;  the  kernels  very  deep,  much 
wrinkled,  and  very  loose  on  the  cob.  The  earlier  plats  varied  more  from 
this  type  than  the  later  ones,  plainly  showing  mixture  with  the  smaller 
eared,  shallow  grained,  earlier  varieties.  Until  gold  coin  was  introduced, 
two  years  ago,  Stowell's  was  as  late  as  any  other  variety  of  sweet  corn  so 
that  mixing  would  not  make  it  later,  but  it  could  be  made  later,  and  at 
the  same  time  could  be  more  easily  kept  pure  by  using  the  early  ears  and 
planting  the  late. 

In  arranging  names  and  synonyms,  the  rules  formulated  by  a  com- 
mittee of  the  horticulturists  of  the  Experiment  Stations  have  served  as  a 
guide.  In  the  case  of  such  a  name  as  extra  early  red  Naragansett  sugar, 
the  single  word  Naragansett  serves  every  purpose  in  distinguishing  the 
variety.  The  term  hybrid,  sometimes  used,  can  be  properly  applied  only 
to  a  cross  between  different  species,  as  between  wheat  and  rye,  and  not  to 
crosses  between  different  varieties  of  the  same  species. 

According  to  the  tests  so  far  made,  there  are  still  49  varieties  of  sweet 
corn  distinct  enough  to  be  left  separate.  Of  these  there  are  several  in 
each  group  so  much  alike  that  it  would  not  pay  to  grow  more  than  one  of 
them  at  a  time. 

Dreer's,  a  selection  from  Cory,  is  the  earliest  corn.  It  does  not  all 
ripen  at  the  same  time,  and  will  afford  a  supply  until  something  better  can 
be  had.  ford's  or  Crosby  would  be  selected  for  the  next  early  variety. 
ford's  is  very  similar  to  Minnesota,  but  larger,  clearer  in  color,  and  of 
better  quality.  Crosby  has  10  to  14  rows  of  kernels,  is  below  medium  size, 
white,  and  of  very  good  quality. 


434  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  {February, 

In  the  medium  early  groups,  Stabler 's  early  is  as  good  as  any.  The 
ears  are  of  medium  size,  white,  with  12  to  14  rows  of  kernels.  This  variety 
differs  in  merit  so  little  from  Concord,  Shakers,'  pee  andkay,  Squantum,  and 
asylum,  that  there  is  practically  no  choice.  Stabler1  s  is  given  the  prefer- 
ence, because  more  dealers  keep  that  seed  than  seed  of  the  others. 

Of  late  varieties  Old  Colony  is  of  better  quality  than  StowelFs  ever- 
green, and  it  remains  in  condition  for  use  nearly  as  long.  The  ears  are 
above  medium  size,  tapering,  deep  grained,  white.  It  is  not  so  large  as 
StoweWs,  and  for  canning  factories  would  not  be  so  valuable.  Of  the 
shallow  grained  late  varieties  there  would  be  little  choice  between  mam- 
moth, Hickox,  and  Henderson.  All  produce  large  ears,  and  are  of  very 
good  quality. 

For  farmers  who  do  not  care  to  plant  more  than  a  single  variety, 
Crosty,  planted  at  different  times,  would  be  as  good  as  anything. 

The  new  varieties  sent  out  every  year  at  high  prices,  are  almost  cer- 
tain to  be  a  disappointment  to  the  grower,  since  they  nearly  always  fail 
to  fulfill  the  claims  of  the  introducer. 

In  the  classification  of  sweet  corn  the  varieties  are  divided  accord- 
ing to  the  time  reaching  edible  maturity  after  planting  into:  Early,  Medium, 
Late.  Also  on  color:  Yellow,  White,  Colored  not  yellow.  A  further  divi- 
sion of  varieties  is  made  into  8-rowed  and  Having  more  than  8  rows. 

Circumstances  have  made  it  impracticable  to  give  any  estimates  of 
yields  of  corn  grown  the  past  season.  For  yields  in  1889,  see  bulletin  No. 
8,  pp.  283-286. 

EARLY  VARIETIES —  Yellow — 8-rowed. 

Early  orange;  Dreer,  Cole  &  Bro.     Synonym — Golden  sugar;  Henderson. 

Stalk,  5  to  6^  ft.  high,  slender,  pale  green,  easily  blown  down.  Ear,  small,  slen- 
der, 5  to  6j£  in.  long.  A  variety  easily  distinguished,  as  there  is  only  one  other  variety 
of  yellow  sweet  corn,  gold  coin,  and  that  is  large  and  late. 

* 

EARLY  VARIETIES — White— 8-rowed. 

Northern  pedigree— Haskell,  Salzer,  Vaughan. 

Stalk,  very  small  and  slender,  3  to  4  ft.  high,  without  suckers;  tassel,  very  simple 
and  stiff.  Ear,  4  to  5^  in.  long,  and  quite  slender.  It  is  smaller  than  any  other  variety  of 
sweet  corn  grown  and  has  not  proved  any  earlier  than  some  of  the  larger  kinds.  Its  small 
size  makes  it  quite  distinct.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  ears  are  too  small  for  use. 

BurbanPs.  Synonyms — BurbanK's  early;  Vaughan.  BurbanK's  early  Maine; 
Vaughan. 

Stalk,  3j£  to  4^8  ft.  high,  rather  stout,  producing  no  suckers;  tassel,  short,  stiff, 
simple.  Ear,  4^  to  6^  in.  long,  irregular  in  shape,  usually  enlarged  at  the  butt.  Ker- 
nels, very  large  and  irregular.  It  was  first  fit  for  use  in/  days  from  planting  in  1889 
and  in  69  days  in  1890.  It  yielded  at  the  rate  of  9  bu.  in  1889  and  20.2  bu.  per  acre 
in  1890.  It  produces  a  very  large  proportion  of  nubbins  too  small  for  use. 

Minnesota.  Synonyms — Early  Minnesota;  Vaughan.  Extra  early  Minnesota 
sugar;  Landreth.  Dolly  Dutton;  Landreth.  Tom  Thumb;  Bridgeman.  Extra  early 
Tom  Thumb;  Henderson.  Early  Boynton;  Ferry.  Pratt' s  early;  Gregory.  Extra 
early  dwarf;  Bridgeman.  Hawaii  sugar;  Wilson. 


i89i] 


EXPERIMENTS   WITH    SWEET   CORN,  1890. 


435 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  SWEET  CORN  (Synonyms  in  parenthesis.) 


f  Yellow \  8-rowed 


W 

5.  \   White, 


f  8-rowed 


Having  more 
than  8  rows. 


Colored,  not  yellow. . . 


White , 


f  Yellow j 


8  rowed  . 


White , 


Having  more 
[     than  8  rows. 


8-rowed  . 


Having  more 
than  8  rows. 


Having  more 
than  8  rows. 


t  Colored,  not  yellow. . .  •{   8-rowed 

'   Having  more 
than  8  rows. 


Colored,  not  yellow  . .  j 


Having  more 
than  8  rows. 


-{    Early  orange  (Golden  sugar), 
f  Northern  pedigree. 
Burbank's. 

Minnesota    (Dolly    Button,     Tom 
Thumb,   Boynton,  Pratt' s,  Extra 
early  dwarf,  Hawaii  sugar). 
Ford's. 

Darling  (early  sweet,  or  sugar). 
Original  Crosby. 
Durkee. 
Boston  Market 
Leet's. 

Crosby  (Des  Moines). 
Early  Southern. 
f  Early  Adams. 
I  Adams. 

j  Landreth   Market  (Burlington 
(.     hydrid). 
f  Dreer's. 
Cory  (No.  48,  La  Crosse,  Rockford 

Market). 
Marblehead. 
Narragansett. 

Chicago  market  (Ballard's). 
(golden  sugar,  early  orange). 

Albany  (Breck's  premium). 

Perry's  (Perry's  hybrid). 

Concord. 

Shakers'. 

Pee    and    kay     (western      queen, 

Maule's  XX  sugar). 
Squantum     (early  bonanza,   early 

Concord). 
Stabler's  early. 
Asylum. 

Russell's  prolific. 
Red  cob     (large  red  cob   Perry's, 

Livingston's  evergreen). 
Black  Mexican  (black  sugar). 

Gold  coin. 

Eight-rowed  (large  8-rowed,  Ro- 
chester 8-rowed,  New  England 
8-rowed,  Darling's  sugar). 

Triumph. 

Early  mammoth  (Marblehead  mam- 
moth, etc). 

Mammoth  (  late  mammoth, 
Maule's  mammoth). 

Hickox  (Creedmoor). 

Henderson. 

Honey. 

Excelsior. 

Ruby. 

Roslyn  (Roslyn  hybrid,  Simpsonia). 

Old  colony  (Landreth  sugar,  Sonyea 
intermediate). 

Stabler's  nonpareil  (Stabler's  pedi- 
gree). 

Egyptian  (improved  evergreen). 

Stowell's  evergreen  (evergreen 
sweet). 

Little  gem  (ne  plus  ultra/shoe  peg). 

Amber  cream. 


These  three  varieties,  though  not  sweet,  are  included  because  commonly  sold  for  table  use. 


436  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February,. 

Dolly  Dutton  as  grown  in  1888  was  somewhat  different  from  Minnesota  but  not  as 
grown  in  1889.  Tom  Thumb  as  grown  in  1888  differed  slightly  from  what  was  grown 
under  that  name  in  1889  or  1890,  while  in  both  the  latter  years  it  could  not  be  distin- 
guished from  Minnesota.  In  1888,  that  grown  under  the  name  of  Dolly  Dutton  was 
three  days  earlier  and  that  called  Tom  Thumb  one  day  earlier  than  Minnesota.  In  1889, 
the  Dolly  Dutton  was  one  day  earlier,  Tom  Thumb  four  days  later,  Boynton  one  day 
earlier,  and  Pratfs  early  two  days  earlier  than  Minnesota,  and  Hawaii  sugar  and  Extra 
early  dwarf  ripened  at  the  same  date  as  Minnesota.  In  1890,  Tom  Thumb,  Prat? s 
early,  and  Boyntoris  were  two  days  earlier  than  Minnesota. 

Stalk,  4^4  to  5  ft.  high,  somewhat  slender;  tassel,  slender,  drooping;  suckers,  few,, 
small.  Ear,  borne  from  12  to  18  in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  rather  slender,  5  to  7 
in.  long,  cylindrical;  kernels,  scarcely  even  at  the  butt;  tips,  fairly  well  filled;  rows  of 
kernels,  regular.  The  different  plats  reached  edible  maturity  in  1888,  in  from  58  to  62 
days  from  planting,  in  1889,  in  from  79  to  84  days,  in  1890,  in  from  71  to  74.  A  popular 
and  valuable  early  variety.  . 

Ford's.     Synonym — Ford's  early;  Vaughan. 

Similar  to  Minnesota.  The  ear  is  some  larger,  of  a  cleaner  color,  white  with  a  red- 
dish tinge  sometimes,  cylindrical  or  slightly  tapering;  rows  of  kernels,  regular;  pairs  of 
rows,  sometimes  separated  at  the  butt;  cob,  white  or  reddish  in  color.  It  reached  edible- 
maturity  in  1889  in  80  days  from  planting,  in  1890  in  72  days. 

Darling;  Landreth.     Synonym — Early  sweet  or  su%ar;  Ferry. 

Has  larger,  somewhat  later,  and  more  perfect  ears  than  Minnesota.  Stalk,  5/4  to  *f 
ft.  high;  rather  slender;  suckers,  numerous,  reaching  nearly  the  size  of  the  parent  stalk; 
tassel,  slender  and  drooping.  Ear,  about  2  ft.  from  the  ground,  white,  with  a  white  cob, 
cylindrical,  7  to  8  in.  long,  1.4  to  1.6  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  well 
filled;  rows  of  kernels,  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  separating  toward  the  butt  of  the  ear. 
Kernel  is  broader  than  deep,  krinkled,  less  shriveled  than  most  sweet  corn.  It  reached 
edible  maturity  in  63  to  64  days  from  planting  in  1888  and  in  77  to  79  days  in  1890.  It 
yields  well  and  the  corn  is  of  good  quality. 

EARLY  VARIETIES—  White— Rows,  more  than  eight. 

Original  Crosby;  Gregory. 

Stalk,  about  5  ft.  high,  slender;  tassel,  slender  and  drooping;  suckers,  very  numer- 
ous, small  to  three-fourths  size  of  the  parent  stalk.  Ear,  12  to  18  in.  from  the  ground,, 
dull  white,  tapering,  with  a  white  cob,  4^  to  6  in.  long,  1.3  to  1.6  in.  in  diameter,  with 
IO  to  14  rows  of  kernels.  Kernel  very  irregular  in  shape,  about  as  deep  as  broad,  flat- 
tened over  the  top.  It  was  first  fit  for  use  in  80  days  from  planting  in  1889  and  in  74^ 
days  in  1890.  It  produces  so  many  small  nubbins  in  proportion  to  the  good  ears  as  to  be 
worthless.  In  1889,  there  were  58  good  ears  to  91  nubbins  and  in  1890,  10  good  ears  to 
135  nubbins. 

Durkee;  Gregory. 

Differs  from  Original  Crosby  in  being  larger  with  a  better  proportion  of  good  ears  to- 
nubbins,  but  it  could  not  be  recommended  for  cultivation. 

Boston  market.     Synonym — Early  Boston  market;  Gregory. 

Stalk,  4  to  5  ft.  high,  heavy,  large  leaved;  tassel,  small,  stiff.  Ear,  12  to  14  in.  from 
the  ground,  dull  white,  nearly  cylindrical,  5^  to  7  in.  long,  1.4  to  1.7  in.  in  diameter; 
kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  not  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  10  to  12,  not  very  regular. 
Kernel,  large,  irregular.  A  rough,  irregular  ear,  fit  for  use  in  1889  in  81  days  from  plant- 
ing. Not  very  productive;  quality,  only  fair. 

Leet's.     Synonym — Leet's  early;  Ferry. 

Stalk  and  ear,  of  larger  size  than  the  last,  otherwise  very  similar.  Stalk,  5  to  6  ft- 
high,  heavy,  leafy,  short-jointed.  Ear,  18  to  24  in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  6  to 


1891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    SWEET    CORN,   1890.  437 

in.  long,  1.4  to  1.7  in.  in  diameter;  rows  of  kernels,  10   to  12,  not  very  regular.      Ears 
and  kernels,  coarse,  rather  rough;  quality,  only  fair. 

Crosby.  Synonyms — Crosby's  early;  Vaughan.  Crosby's  early  sugar;  Henderson. 
Crosby's  extra  early  sugar;  Dreer,  Smith,  Landreth.  Early  Des  Moines;  Iowa  Seed  Co. 

Stalk.  6  to  7  ft.  high,  rather  slender;  tassel,  slender  and  drooping;  suckers,  numer- 
ous, reaching  ^  to  ^  the  size  of  the  parent  stalk.  Ear,  18  to  24  in.  from  the  ground, 
white,  tapering,  5  to  7  in.  long,  1.410  1.9  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  or  slightly 
rounded  past  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  10  to  14,  regular.  Kernel  below 
medium  size,  as  deep  as  broad,  crinkled.  The  corn  is  below  the  medium  size,  of  good 
shape  and  good  quality.  A  valuable  and  popular  variety.  In  1888,  the  various  plats 
were  fit  for  use  in  from  62  to  64  days  from  planting;  in  1889,  in  from  83  to  85  days;  and 
in  1890,  in  79  days. 

Early  southern;  Ferry. 

Stalk,  5  to  6  ft.  high,  heavy,  leafy;  tassel,  bunchy,  stiff.  Ear,  dull  white,  nearly 
cylindrical,  24  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  6  to  8  in.  long,  1.6  to  1.9  in.  in  diameter;  ker- 
nels, rounded  past  the  butt;  tip,  not  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  8  to  10,  not  regular. 
Kernel,  deep,  broad,  flat.  Appears  more  a  dent  than  a  sweet  corn;  quality,  poor.  This 
variety  may  be  of  value  for  the  South  where  the  better  kinds  of  sweet  corn  cannot  be 
grown.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1889  in  85  days  from  planting  and  in  1890  in  77  days. 

*Early  Adams;  Haskell,  Vaughan.  Synonym — Extra  early  Adams;  Hallock, 
Landreth. 

Stalk,  \y2  to  $%  ft.  high,  rather  short-jointed;  tassel,  stiff.  Ear,  16  to  20  in.  from 
the  ground,  white,  cylindrical,  tapering  at  the  tip,  4^  to  6  in.  long,  1.6  to  1.9  in.  in 
diameter;  kernels  rounded  over  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  10  to  12, 
regular;  pairs  of  rows,  not  very  distinct;  cob,  I  to  1.2  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel  very 
solid,  rounded  over  the  top,  about  as  deep  as  broad,  creased  or  smooth.  It  is  smaller, 
earlier,  and  less  dented  than  the  following.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  57  to  60  days 
from  planting  and  in  1889  in  78  days. 

Adams.  Synonyms — Early  Adams;  Haskell,  Vaughan.  Extra  early  Adams; 
Henderson. 

Stalk,  5  to  6^  ft.  high,  strong,  short-jointed,  leafy;  tassel,  short-,  stiff,  bunchy.  Ear, 
24  to  30  in.  frcm  the  ground,  white,  cylindrical,  tapering  bluntly  at  the  tip,  5^  to  7  in. 
long,  I.  4  to  1.9  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  rounded  over  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows, 
10  to  14,  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  not  very  distinct;  cob,  white,  .7  to  I.I  in.  in  diameter. 
Kernel,  very  solid,  rounded  over  the  top,  dented  or  nearly  smooth,  about  as  deep  as 
broad.  Seedsmen  seem  to  send  out  this  and  the  preceding  indifferently.  It  was  first 
fit  for  use  in  1888  in  70  days  and  in  1889  in  85  days  from  planting. 

Landreth  market.  Synonyms — Early  Landreth  market;  Landreth.  Burlington 
hybrid;  Johnson  &  Stokes,  and  Northrup,  Braslan  &  Goodwin  Co. 

Stalk,  4/4  to  6^  ft.  high,  leafy,  short -join  ted;  tassel,  slender  and  drooping;  suckers, 
very  few.  Ear,  16  to  20  in.  from  the  ground,  white,  cylindrical,  tapering  at  the  tip,  5  to 
lYi  in.  long,  1.4  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows, 
8  to  12,  regular;  cob,  white,  I  to  1.2  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  solid,  rounded  over  the 
top,  broader  than  deep,  smooth.  Has  the  appearance  of  a  flint  corn  when  ripe.  It  was 
first  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  56  days  from  planting,  in  1889  in  80  days,  and  in  1890  in  77 
days.  This  is  a  cross  between  Early  Adams  and  an  early  sweet  corn,  probably  Minne- 
sota, and  is  not  of  so  good  quality  as  the  pure  sweet  corn.  It  would  probably  be  of 
value  at  the  South  where  pure  sweet  corn  can  not  be  successfully  grown. 

EARLY  VARIETIES— Colored,  not  yfJ/ow—8-rowed. 
Dreer's.     Synonym — Dreer 's  first  of  all;  Dreer. 

Only  distinguished  from   Cory  by  being  smaller  and  according  to  the  past  season's 
notes   two  days   earlier.       Stalk,  3^  to  4  ft.  high,  slender.      Ear,   8  to  12  in.  from  the 
*This  and  the  two  varieties  which  follow  are  sold  for  table  use  but  are  not  sweet. 

—4 


438  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

ground,  4  to  5^  long,   1.3  to  1.6  in.  in  diameter.      It  was  first  fit  for  use  the  past  season 
in  63  days  from  planting. 

Cory.  Synonyms — Early  Cory;  Smith.  Cory  early  sugar;  Henderson.  Extra 
early  Cory;  Haskell.  No.  48;  Salzer.  La  Crosse;  Salzer.  Earliest  Rockford  market; 
Shumway. 

Stalk,  4  to  4^  ft.  high,  slender;  tassel,  short,  stiff;  suckers,  few,  small.  Ear,  10  to 
12  in.  from  the  ground,  4  to  6  in.  long,  1.4  to  1.7  in.  in  diameter,  dull  white  to  red; 
butt,  enlarged;  tip,  round-pointed,  well  filled;  rows,  nearly  regular.  Kernel,  large, 
rounded  over  the  top,  broader  than  deep,  crinkled  or  smooth.  Type,  not  well  fixed. 
The  various  plats  of  this  variety  were  first  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  from  54  to  56  days  from 
planting,  in  1889  in  77  to  80  days,  and  in  1890  in  65  days.  This  variety  though  of 
recent  introduction  (1885)  is  very  popular  as  an  early  corn.  It  lasts  but  a  few  days  and 
many  of  the  later  kinds  are  of  better  quality. 

Marblehead.  Synonyms — Marblehead  sugar;  Dreer.  Marblehead  early;  Vaughan. 
Extra  early  Marblehead;  Ferry.  New  Cory;  Nellis. 

Stalk,  4  to  5  ft.  high,  rather  stout;  tassel,  small,  stiff;  suckers,  few,  not  reaching 
more  than  half  size.  Ear,  12  to  18  in.  from  the  ground,  nearly  white  to  light  red,  with  a 
red  cob,  cylindrical,  enlarged  at  th'e  butt;  tip,  round-pointed,  well  filled,  5  to  7  in.  long, 
1.4  to  1.6  in.  in  diameter;  rows,  not  crowded,  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  quite  distinct  or 
entirely  separated.  Kernel,  below  medium  size,  rounded  over  the  top,  crinkled  or 
nearly  smooth.  This  is  probably  the  parent  variety  from  which  Cory  was  produced  by 
selection.  It  differs  from  Cory  in  being  of  larger  growth,  ears  longer,  more  slender  and 
more  regular  in  shape.  In  1888,  it  was  fit  for  use  in  55  to  56  days  from  planting;  in 
1889,  in  76  to  77  days;  and  in  1890,  in  69  days. 

Narragansett.  Synonyms — Early  red  Narragansett;  Ferry.  Extra  early  Narra  - 
gansett  sugar;  Landreth. 

Stalk,  4j^  to  5  ft.  high,  rather  stout,  leafy,  marked  with  purple;  tassel,  short,  stiff; 
suckers,  few,  not  reaching  more  than  half  size.  Ear,  16  to  20  in,  from  the  ground,  light 
to  dark  red,  nearly  cylindrical;  tip,  round-pointed,  well  filled,  6  to  7.5  in.  long,  1.5  to 
i.  8  in.  in  diameter;  pairs  of  rows,  frequently  separated.  Kernel,  rather  large,  broader 
than  deep,  crinkled  or  crimped.  This  variety  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  the  pre- 
ceding three  varieties  by  being  larger  and  darker  in  color.  It  was  first  fit  for  use  in  1888 
in  57  to  59  days  from  planting. 

EARLY  VARIETIES — Colored,  not  yellow— Having  more  than  8  rows. 

Chicago  market;  Vaughan,  Haskell,  Leonard.  Synonym — Ballard's  extra  early; 
Storrs  &  Harrison. 

Stalk,  4  to  5  ft.  high,  rather  slender;  tassel,  small,  stiff  or  drooping;  suckers,  few,  not 
usually  reaching  more  than  half  the  size  of  the  parent  stalk.  Ear,  1 2  to  15  in.  from  the 
ground,  cylindrical  or  tapering,  white  to  pale  red  or  flesh  color;  kernels,  even  or  slightly 
rounded  past  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled,  5  to  6^  in.  long,  1.4  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter;  rows 
of  kernels,  10  to  12,  regular.  Kernel,  below  medium  si/e,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top, 
n  early  as  deep  as  broad,  crinkled  or  nearly  smooth.  This  variety  differs  from  the  pre- 
ceding in  the  number  of  rows  of  kernels  and  in  color,  being  much  nearer  white  than  any 
of  them.  It  differs  from  the  next  following  in  being  lighter  colored  and  much  smaller. 
It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  from  57  to  59  days,  in  1889  in  78  to  81  days,  and  in  1890  in  65 
days  from  planting. 

Golden  sugar;  Landreth.  Early  orange  sweet;  Farm,  Field  and  Stockman.  Early 
orange;  Vandercook.  Neither  the  term  golden  nor  orange  is  applicable  to  this  variety, 
and  both  have  been  already  applied  by  other  seedsmen  to  another  variety. 

Stalk,  5  to  6^£  ft.  high,  variable  in  appearance.  Ear,  18  to  24  in.  from  the  ground, 
white  to  red,  tapering,  6  to  7^  in.  long,  1.6  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the 
butt  of  the  ear;  tip,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  12  to  14,  regular.  Kernel,  as  deep  as 


^891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    SWEET    CORN,   1890.  439 

broad,  wrinkled.     This  variety  was  first  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  63  to  65  days  from  planting, 
and  in  1889  in  86  days. 

MEDIUM  MATURING  VARIETIES— White — Having  more  than  8  rows. 

Albany.  Synonyms — Albany  sugar;  Dreer.  Breeds  premier;  U.  S.  Department 
of  Agriculture. 

Stalk,  $%  to  6^  ft.  high,  strong,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  rather  stiff;  suckers, 
«nany.  Ear,  24  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  tapering,  blunt-pointed,  6  to  8  in. 
long,  1.6  to  1.9  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  not  filled  out  at  the  tip;  rows, 
10  to  12,  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  not  very  distinct;  cob,  white,  i.i  to  1.3  in.  in  diameter. 
Kernel,  rounded  over  the  top,  nearly  as  deep  as  broad,  thick,  crinkled  or  crimped.  It 
was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  64  days  from  planting,  in  1889  in  85  days,  and  in  1890  in  71 
•days.  Type,  irregular. 

Perry's.     Synonym— Perry's  hybrid;  Hallock,  Salzer,  Vaughn. 

Stalk,  5  to  6ft.  high;  tassel,  small;  suckers,  few,  small.  Ear,  dull  white  or  reddish, 
cylindrical,  I  to  2  ft.  from  the  ground,  6  to  8  in.  long,  1.6  to  2  in.  in  diameter;  rows  of 
kernels,  8  to  12.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top,  crinkled  or  smooth.  Not  of  good 
quality.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  64  days  from  planting  in  1889,  in  82  to  85  days, 
.and  in  1890  in  74  days.  It  is  so  variable  as  scarcely  to  deserve  to  be  classed  as  a  variety. 

Concord.  Synonyms — Moore's  early  Concord;  Ferry,  Vaughn.  Early  Concord 
sugar;  Landreth. 

Stalk,  5  to  7  ft.  high,  short-jointed;  tassel,  long,  slender  and  drooping;  suckers, 
n  umerous.  Ear,  18  to  24  in.  from  the  ground,  dull,  white,  cylindrical,  round-pointed  at 
the  tip,  6  to  8  in.  long,  1.6  to  2  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt,  nearly  filling 
out  the  tip;  rows.  12  to  14,  regular;  cob,  white,  i.i  to  1.3  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel, 
flatly  rounded  over  the  top,  nearly  as  deep  as  broad,  very  thick,  crimped  and  wrinkled. 
It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  65  to  68  days  from  planting,  in  1889  in  85  to  87  days,  and  in 
.1890  in  84  days. 

Shakers'.     Synonym — Shakers'  early  sweet;  Henderson. 

Stalk,  5  to  7  ft.  high,  rather  heavy;  tassel,  heavy,  stiff.  Ear,  18  to  24  in.  from  the 
•ground,  dull  white,  cylindrical  or  tapering,  round-pointed,  5^  to  7  in.  long,  1.6  to  1.9 
in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt,  not  filling  out  the  tip;  rows,  10  to  12,  regular; 
pairs  of  rows,  distinct;  cob,  white,  I  to  1.2  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  rounded  over  the 
top,  broader  than  deep,  thick,  crinkled  or  nearly  smooth.  This  variety  reached  edible 
maturity  in  1888  in  66  days  from  planting,  and  in  1889  in  85  days. 

Peeandkay.     Synonyms— Western  queen;   Shumway.     Maulers  XX  sugar;  Maule. 

Stalk,  4^  to  6^  ft.  high,  short-jointed,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  stiff.  Ear,  16  to 
18  in.  from  the  ground,  tapering,  sometimes  compressed  at  the  butt,  very  dull  white,  6  to 
8  in.  long,  1.6  to  2  in.  in  diameter;  kernels  even  at  the  butt,  not  quite  filling  out  the 
tip;  rows,  10  to  12,  regular;  cob,  white,  i.i  to  1.3  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly 
rounded  over  the  top,  crinkled  or  crimped,  nearly  as  deep  as  broad,  very  thick.  Similar 
to  asylum  sugar,  but  smaller  and  earlier.  This  variety  was  fit  for  use  in  67  days  from 
planting  in  1888,  in  83  to  85  days  in  1889,  and  in  73  days  in  1890. 

Squantum;  Landreth.  Synonyms — Squantum  sugar;  Henderson.  Early  bonanza; 
Wilson.  Early  conqueror;  Faust. 

Stalk,  6  to  7  ft.  high,  leafy,  short-jointed,  heavy;  tassels,  stiff";  suckers,  few.  Ear, 
18  to  24  in.  from  the  ground,  very  dull  white,  tapering,  rounded  at  the  tip,  5^  to  7^  in. 
long,  1.6  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt,  nearly  filling  out  the  tip;  rows, 
12,  regular;  cob,  white  or  pink,  i  to  1.2  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over 
the  top,  crinkled  or  crimped,  nearly  as  broad  as  deep,  rather  thick.  This  variety  was 
first  fit  Tor  use  in  1888  in  69  days  from  planting,  in  1889  in  85  to  89  days,  and  in  1890  in 
Si  days.  That  sent  out  as  early  conqueror  was  not  at  all  uniform,  but  was  more  like  this 


44°  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

than  any  other  variety.    Ears  might  have  been  selected  from  it  that  would  have  answered 
to  the  description  of  either  S-rowedor  Stowell^s. 

Stabler' s  early ;  US.  Department  of  Agriculture.  Synonyms — Stabler' s  early  sugar; 
Henderson.  Stabler' s  extra  early  sweet  or  sugar;  Dreer,  Smith. 

Stalk,  5  to  7  ft.  high,  rather  long-jointed,  pale  green;  tassel,  drooping  or  stifi;  suck- 
ers, not  many.  Ears,  16  to  24  in.  from  the  ground,  white,  tapering,  rounded  at  the  tip, 
6  to  I*/?,  in.  long,  1.5  to  1.9  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt,  filled  out  at  the 
tip;  rows,  10  to  14  regular;  cob,  white,  i  to  i.i  in.  in  diameter.  Kernels,  flatly  rounded 
over  the  top,  crinkled  and  crimped,  as  deep  as  broad.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  from 
66  to  71  days  from  planting,  and  in  1889  in  87  days. 

Asylum;  Vaughan. 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  rather  long-jointed,  blades  large;  tassel,  many-branched, 
drooping;  suckers,  not  many.  Ear,  24  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  tapering;  tip,  bluntly- 
rounded;  very  dull  white,  7^  to  9^  in.  long,  1.6  to  1.9  in.  in  diameter.  Kernels,  even  at 
the  butt,  neatly  filling  out  the  tip;  rows,  10  to  12,  regular;  cob,  white,  i.i  to  1.3  in.  ir» 
diameter.  Kernel,  broadly  rounded  over  the  top,  not  so  deep  as  broad,  thick,  crinkled, 
and  crimped.  This  variety  was  fit  for  use  in  71  days  from  planting  in  1888,  in  89  days- 
in  1889,  and  in  86  days  in  1890. 

Russell'1  s  prolific;   Vick. 

Stalk,  6  to  7  ft.  high;  tassel,  long,  drooping;  many  small  suckers.  Ear,  dull  white, 
with  white  cob,  cylindrical,  6  to  8  in.  long,  1.5  to  2  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the 
butt  of  the  ear;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  lo  to  12.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over 
the  top,  crinkled  or  smooth.  Approaching  flint;  quality  poor.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1890 
in  81  days  from  planting.  It  yields  less  than  many  other  better  varieties. 

Red  cob.  Synonyms— Red  cob  surar;  Landreth,  Early  red  cob;  Johnson  &  Stokes. 
Early  large  red  cob  Perry'1  s;  Landreth.  Livingston1  s  evergreen;  Vaughan. 

Stalk,  6^  to  8%  ft.  high,  heavy,  dark  green,  characteristically  marked  with  purple; 
tassel,  slender  and  drooping;  suckers,  many.  Ears,  2%  to  3  ft.  from  the  ground,  reddish 
white,  generally  cylindrical,  rounded  at  the  tip,  7  to  8)4  in.  long,  1.6  to  2.1  in.  in  diam- 
eter; kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  fairly  well  filled  at  the  tip;  rows,  10  to  12,  regular,  some- 
times spirally  arranged;  cob,  red,  I  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over 
the  top,  as  deep  as  broad,  rather  thick,  crinkled  and  wrinkled.  This  was  fit  for  use  in 
1888  in  from  70  to  71  days  from  planting,  in  1889  in  88  days,  and  in  1890  in  84  days.  It 
is  the  only  variety  in  the  group  that  is  easily  distinguished. 

MEDIUM  MATURING  VARIETY — Colored,  not  Yellow—  8-rowed. 

Black  Mexican;  Vaughan.  Synonyms — Black  Mexican  sweet;  Smith.  Black  Mex- 
ican sugar;  Henderson.  Black  sugar;  Cowan. 

Stalk,  6  to  7  ft.  high,  rather  slender,  light  green;  suckers,  few.  Ear,  24  to  30  in. 
from  the  ground,  cylindrical,  tapering  at  the  tip,  6  to  7^  in.  long,  1.3  to  1.7  in.  in  diam- 
eter; kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  not  filled  out  at  the  tip;  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  usually 
but  little  separated;  black  or  slate  color;  cob,  white,  .7  to  i.i  in  ia  diameter.  Kernel, 
rounded  over  the  top,  crinkled  or  crimped,  broader  than  deep.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888 
in  66  to  68  days  from  planting,  in  i83g  in  84  togz  days,  and  in  1890  in  79  to  81  days. 
There  is  only  one  variety  of  black  sweet  corn. 

LATE  VARIETY — Yellow — Having  more  than-8  rows. 

Gold  coin;  Livingston,  Vaughan. 

-  Stalk,  8  to  9  ft.  high,  very  strong,  leafy;  not  many  suckers;  tassel,  large,  full,  stiff. 
Ears,  2^  to  3J/J  ft.  from  the  ground,  light  yellow,  cylindrical  or  tapering,  7  to  10  in.  long, 
2  to  2.4  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  rounded  past  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows,  16  to  24, 
regular;  cob,  white,  i  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernels,  very  loose,  rather  flat  on  the  top, 


1891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    SWEET    CORN,   1890.  441 

above  the  medium  size,  ll/2  times  as  deep  as  broad,  wrinkled.  This  is  a  cross  between  a 
yellow  dent  and  Stowell's  evergreen.  It  is  a  fine  looking  corn,  but  is  lacking  in  quality 
and  is  not  so  tender  as  the  pure  sweet  varieties.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1889  in  103  days 
from  planting.  In  1890,  that  from  home-grown  seed  was  fit  for  use  in  86  to  88  days,  and 
that  from  seed  from  Livingston  and  Vaughan  in  96  to  98  days. 

LATE  VARIETIES — White— 8  rowed. 

Eight-rowed.  Synonyms — Early  8-rowed;  McAllister.  Large  S-rowed;  Nellis.  Large 
•early  8-rowed  sweet;  Henderson.  Darling's  sugar;  McAllister.  Rochester  8-rowed; 
Baruard.  New  England  8-rowed;  Currie  Bros. 

Stalk,  dy2  to  8%  ft.  high,  rather  slender;  tassel,  slender,  drooping;  suckers,  not 
many.  Ear,  20  to  30  in.  high,  white,  tapering,  8  to  10  in.  long,  1.5  to  1.8  in.  in  diame- 
ter; kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tips,  well  filled;  rows,  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  distinct, 
sometimes  entirely  separate  toward  the  butt;  cob,  white,  I  to  i.i  in,  in  diameter.  Kernel, 
broadly  rounded  over  the  top,  broader  than  deep,  crinkled,  large.  A  very  prolific  variety 
of  good  quality,  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  69  to  74  days  from  planting,  in  1889  in  88 
to  94  days,  in  1890  in  86  days. 

Triumph;  .Vaughan.  Synonyms — Triumph  sugar;  Landreth.  Triumph  sweet; 
Smith. 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  stout,  short-jointed;  tassel,  full  and  heavy;  suckers,  few.  Ear, 
24  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  white,  cylindrical,  tapering  roundly  at  the  tip,  7J^  to  9^ 
in.  long,  1.6  to  2  in.  in  diameter;  kernels  even  at  the  butt;  filled  out  at  the  tip;  rows,  8; 
pairs  of  rows,  distinct  to  entirely  separate;  cob,  white,  I  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel, 
rounded  over  the  top,  very  large,  broader  than  deep,  crinkled  or  crimped.  It  was  fit  for 
use  in  1888  in  72  to  76  days  and  in  1889  in  94  days  from  planting.  This  differs  from  the 
preceding  in  having  larger  ears,  larger  kernels,  the  rows  of  kernels  not  so  regular,  and 
•sometimes  10  instead  of  8  rows. 

LATE  VARIETIES — White — Having  more  than  8  rows. 

Early  mammoth.  Synonyms — Early  mammoth  sugar;  Landreth,  Vaughan.  Mam- 
moth early;  Faust.  Marblehead  mammoth;  Gregory. 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  stout,  short-jointed,  large-leaved;  tassel,  drooping;  suckers, 
'few.  Ear,  24  to  28  in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  tapering,  rounded  at  the  tip,  7.5  to 
10  in.  long,  1.7  to  2.2  in.  in  diameter,  even  at  the  butt;  tips,  fairly  filled;  rows,  12  to  14, 
regular;  cob,  white,  I  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top,  as  deep 
as  broad,  thick,  crinkled.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  72  days  from  planting,  and  in  1889 
in  86  to  91  days. 

Mammoth;  Bridgeman,  Hallock,  Storrs  &  Harrison.  Synonyms— Late  mammoth; 
Vaughan.  Mammoth  sugar;  Salzer.  Maulers  mammoth;  Maule. 

Stalk,  7  to  8^£  ft.  high,  strong,  leafy,  pale  green;  tassel,  large,  many-branched, 
•drooping.  Ear,  28  to  33  in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  tapering,  round-pointed,  8.5  to 
•11.5  in.  in  length,  1.8  to  2.4  in.  in  diameter,  kernels,  even  at  the  butt,  nearly  filling  out 
the  tip;  rows,  12  to  18;  cob,  white,  1.2  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded 
over  the  top,  as  deep  as  broad,  thick,  crinkled.  This  variety  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  76 
•to  80  days,  in  1889  in  96  to  98  days,  and  in  1890  in  92  days  from  planting.  It  differs  from 
the  preceding,  which  has  much  more  slender  though  nearly  as  long  an  ear.  The 
kernels  of  the  former  are  also  more  nearly  smooth. 

Hickox;  Hallock,  Salzer.  Synonyms — Hickox  improved;  Landreth.  Hickox  im- 
proved sugar;  Henderson,  Vaughan.  Creedmoor;  Hallock  (as  grown  in  1890). 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  heavy,  leafy,  short -jointed;  tassel,  full,  rather  stiff.  Ear,  30  to 
36  in.  from  the  ground,  white  or  bleached  white,  cylindrical,  round-pointed  at  the  tip,  8 
to  10  in.  long,  1.7  to  2  in.  in  diameter,  kernels  scarcely -even  at  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled; 
•rows,  10  to  14,  regular;  cob,  1.3  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the 


442  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  {February, 

top,  nearly  as  deep  as  broad,  thick,  crinkled  or  crimped.    This  variety  was  first  fit  for  use 
in  1888  in  71  to  74  days,  in  1889  in  91  to  95  days,  and  in  1890  in  84  days  from  planting. 

Henderson;  Henderson. 

Stalk,  6^2  to  8  ft.  high,  heavy,  leafy,  short-jointed;  tassel,  much-branched,  rather 
stiff.  Ear,  28  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white;  cylindrical  or  tapering,  tip,  blunt,  8 
to  II  in.  long,  1.6  to  2  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows,  10 
to  16,  not  very  regular;  cob,  white,  I  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernels,  flatly  rounded  over 
the  top,  irregular  in  shape,  above  medium  size,  as  deep  as  broad,  wrinkled  and  crimped, 
or  smooth.  This  was  fit  for  use  in  1889  in  94  days  and  in  1890  in  84  days  from  the  time 
of  planting.  This  and  the  preceding  are  quite  similar.  Hickox  is  a  rougher  looking  ear 
and  has  larger  kernels  than  Henderson.  Both  resemble  mimnuth  in  many  ways,  but  are- 
smaller. 

Honey;  Storrs  &  Harrison. 

Stalk,  6  to  lYz  ft.  high,  leafy,  stout;  tassel,  rather  stiff;  suckers,  numerous.  Ear  24 
in.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  cylindrical,  6  to  8  inches  long,  1.4  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter; 
kernels,  rounded  over  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  10  to  12,  regular. 
Kernel,  rounded  over  the  top,  crinkled,  as  deep  as  broad.  A  very  prolific  variety.  It 
was  fit  for  use  in  1889  in  94  days  and  in  1890  in  84  days  from  planting. 

Excelsior;  Hallock.  Synonyms — Potter's  excelsior;  Vaughan.  Excelsior  sugar; 
Maule.  Large  excelsior:  Thorburn. 

Stalk,  8  to  9  ft.  high,  rather  strong,  short-jointed,  pale  green;  tassel,  many-branched, 
drooping.  Ear,  2  to  3  ft.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  cylindrical,  rounded  at  the  tip,  6- 
to  8  in.  long,  1.5  to  1.8  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt,  filled  out  at  the  tip; 
rows,  10  to  12,  regular;  cob,  white,  I  to  1.2  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over 
the  top,  broader  than  deep,  wrinkled.  It  was  fit  (or  use  in  1888  in  72  to  74  days,  in  1889. 
in  90  days,  and  in  1890  in  84  days  from  planting. 

Ruby;  Vaughan. 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  heavy,  short-jointed,  large-leaved;  tassel,  large,  full,  drooping;, 
suckers,  many,  large.  Ear,  24  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  a  rich,  creamy  white,  tapering, 
rounded  at  the  tip,  6^  to  IO  in.  long,  1.9  to  2.3  in.  in  diameter,  slightly  rounded  over 
the  butt,  nearly  filling  out  the  tip;  rows,  12  to  20,  regular;  cob,  white  or  purplish,  1.2: 
to  1.6  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top,  wrinkled,  very  thick,  deeper 
than  broad,  large.  Stalks,  vary  in  color  from  dark  green  to  dark  purple.  Quality  very 
good.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  91  days  and  in  1890  in  84  to  88  days  from  planting.  A 
variety  easily  distinguished  by  the  dark  purple  found  on  many  of  the  cobs  and  stalks. 

Roslyn.     Synonyms — Roslyn  hybrid;  Dreer,  Johnson  &  Stokes.   Simpsonia;  Wilson. 

Stalk,  7  to  8%  ft-  high,  heavy,  leafy,  tassel,  much-branched,  heavy,  rather  stiff; 
suckers,  few.  Ear,  24  to  30  in.  from  the  ground,  cream  to  dull  white,  tapering,  7  to  10- 
in.  long,  1.9  to  2. 4  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows,  12 
to  16,  regular;  cob,  white,  1.2  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the 
top,  one  and  one-fourth  times  as  deep  as  broad,  wrinkled,  above  medium  size.  This  var- 
iety was  fit  for  use  in  1889  in  86  days  from  planting,  and  in  1890  in  88  days.  The  qual- 
ity is  rather  poor. 

Old  Colony;  Vaughan.  Synonyms — Sony ea  intermediate;  Barnard.  Landredtfrs 
sugar;  Landreth.  • 

Stalk,  6  to  "jYz  ft.  high,  very  heavy,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  stiff  and  heavy.  Ear, 
24  in.  from  the  ground,  clear  white,  tapering  abruptly,  6j£  to  8  in.  long,  1.6  to  2  in.  in 
diameter;  kernels,  rounded  over  the  butt;  not  quite  filled  out  at  the  tip;  rows,  12  to  14, 
regular,  cob,  white,  .9  to  I.I  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top,  deeper 
than  broad,  wrinkled.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  71  to  74  days,  in  1889  in  87  to  90  days., 
and  in  1890  in  86  days  from  planting. 


1891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    SWEET    CORN,   1890.  443 

S fabler's  nonpareil;   Dreer.     Stabler' s  pedigree;  Burpee. 

Stalk,  7  to  8  ft.  high,  heavy,  large-leaved,  dark  green;  tassel,  long,  drooping.  Ear, 
white,  tapering,  2  to  3  ft.  above  the  ground,  7  to  8  in.  long,  1.8  to  2.2  in.  in  diameter; 
rows  of  kernels,  12  to  16,  not  regular;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled.  Kernel, 
one  and  one-fourth  times  as  deep  as  broad,  wrinkled.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1890  in  84  to 
86  days  from  planting.  It  shells  from  the  cob  more  easily  when  ripe  than  any  other  va- 
riety. Differs  but  little  from  Old  Colony. 

Egyptian;  Dreer,  Vaughan.  Synonym;— Egyptian  sugar;  Landreth.  Improved 
evergreen;  Salzer,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Stalk,  6^  to  8  ft.  high,  leaf/,  heavy,  short-jointed;  tassel,  heavy,  rather  stiff. 
Ear,  2  to  3  ft.  high,  tapering,  bluntly  rounded  at  the  tip,  6  to  8  in.  long,  1.5  to  2  in.  in 
diameter;  kernels,  even  or  slightly  rounded  over  at  the  butt;  filled  out  at  the  tip;  rows, 
12  to  14,  regular;  white,  clear  color;  cob,  white,  I  to  1. 2  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly 
rounded  over  the  top,  as  deep  as  broad,  not  large,  wrinkled.  The  various  plats  were  fit 
for  use  in  1888  in  73  to  80  days,  in  1889  in  92  to  94  days,  and  in  1890  in  86  to  91  days 
from  planting. 

Stowell's  evergreen;    Haskell  and  others.     Synonym — Evergreen  sweet;   Landreth. 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  strong,  short  jointed;  tassel,  many-branched,  rather  stiff, 
heavy.  Ear,  24  to  28  in.  from  the  ground,  white,  usually  tapering,  "jy2  to  10  in.  long, 
1.9  to  2.3  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows,  14  to  16, 
regular;  cob,  white,  i.i  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top, 
wrinkled,  deeper  than  broad.  Stoiviirs  evergreen,  as  sent  out  by  different  seedsmen  va- 
ries greatly,  often  being  so  mixed  as  not  to  be  recogaized  except  by  a  lew  ears.  The  va- 
rious plats  were  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  69  to  74  days,  in  1889  in  87  to  97  days,  and  in  1890 
in  86  days  from  planting. 

Little  gem;  Vaughan,  Dreer.  Synonyms — Ne  plus  ultra;  Gregory.  Shoe  peg; 
Johnson  &  Stokes. 

Stalks,  6  to  7  feet  high,  slender,  pale  green;  tassel,  short,  bunchy,  stiff.  Ear,  usu- 
ally  tapering,  white,  2  to  3  ft.  from  the  ground,  5  to  6  in.  long,  1.410  1.7  in.  in  diameter. 
Kernels,  usually  not  in  rows,  wrinkled,  nearly  twice  as  deep  as  broad,  very  small  and 
slender,  irregular  in  shape.  It  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  74  to  76  days,  in  1889  in  98  days, 
and  in  1890  in  86  to  91  days  from  planting. 

LATE  VARIETY — Colored,  not  yello-v—  Having  more  than  8  rows. 

An,ber  cream;    Landreth,  Henderson. 

Stalk,  6  to  lYz  ft.  high,  short-jointed,  stout;  tassel,  many-branched,  rather  slender, 
drooping.  Ear,  20  to  24  in.  from  the  ground,  reddish  white  to  flesh  color,  cylindrical, 
long,  and  rather  slender,  8  to  10^  in.  in  length,  1.5  to  r.8  in.  in  diameter;  kernels,  even 
at  the  butt,  not  filled  out  at  the  tip;  rows,  10  or  12,  regular;  cob.  white,  .9  to  I.I  in.  in 
diameter.  Kernel,  flatly  rounded  over  the  top,  as  deep  as  broad,  rather  thick,  crinkled. 
This  was  fit  for  use  in  1888  in  71  to  72  days,  in  1889  in  91  to  93  days,  and  in  1890  in  84 
days  from  planting. 


Pop  Corn,  Tests  of  Varieties. 

A  report  upon  varieties  of  pop  corn  is  here  inserted  as  collateral  to 
that  upon  sweet  corn,  both  being  classed  as  garden  crops.  The  pop  corn 
varieties  were  primarily  grown  for  botanical  and  other  closely  related 
studies,  and  especially  in  tests  of  cross  fertilization,  from  which  interest- 
ing results  are  to  be  reported  at  another  time. 


444  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

liThe  list  of  varieties  of  pop  corn  grown  the  past  season  by  the  Sta- 
tion is  as  full  as  it  was  possible  to  make  it  from  the  seedmen's  lists  received. 
As  pop  corn  is  not  so  generally  grown  as  either  sweet  or  field  corn,  there 
has  not  been  the  same  inducement  to  bring  out  or  produce  new  varieties. 
So  far,  all  the  varieties  of  pop  corn  may  be  readily  ^divided  into  two 
very  distinct  types  or  classes.  One  class  is  very  commonly  known  as  rice 
corn,  and  has  kernels  more  or  less  pointed,  with  the  outer  coat,  where  the 
silks  were  attached,  continued  into  a  sort  of  spine,  which  may  either" 
stand  almost  erect  or  may  be  depressed  by  the  crowding  of  the  husk  on 
the  ear.  The  ears  in  either  case  are  rough  to  handle.  The  other  class, 
of  which  the  white  at  least  is  frequently  known  as  pearl  corn,  has  kernels 
rounded  or  flattened  over  the  top  and  very  smooth,  the  point  of  the  at- 
'tachment  of  the  silk  being  lower  down  on  the  same  side  of  the  kernel  as 
the  germ.  The  two  classes  thus  distinguished  may  be  divided,  as  with 
sweet  and  field  corn,  into  early,  medium,  and  late,  and  these  again  into 
white,  yellow,  and  colored,  not  yellow. 

All  the  varieties  of  corn  cross  with  each  other  so  readily  that  it  is 
difficult  under  ordinary  methods  to  keep  a  variety  strictly  to  any  given 
type;  and  so  we  find  frequently  that  corn  sent  from  different  sources 
under  the  same  name  will  differ  as  much  as  corn  from  the  same  source 
under  different  names,  and  that  there  is  room  for  question  as  to  whether 
a  given  lot  belongs  in  this  or  that  group  which  we  class  as  a  variety. 

The  plats  were  1-80  of  an  acre  each.  Plats  of  this  size,  even  with  a 
uniform  stand  are  not  large  enough  from  which  to  make  a  safe  estimate 
of  what  the  varieties  will  do  under  field  culture;  and  with  the  great 
variations  in  stand,  calculations  of  yield  are  untrustworthy.  Any  cor- 
rection of  calculated  yield  on  account  of  stand  only  makes  matters  worse. 
For  illustration,  see  bulletin  No.  8,  p.  280,  table.  The  poor  stand  noted 
in  so  many  cases  may  be  fairly  attributed  to  the  condition  of  the  seed 
when  received  here,  as  was  shown  by  germination  tests. 

RICE  VARIETY— Early  maturing— White. 

Blush;  Farm,  Field  and  Stockman. 

Stalk,  5  to  7  ft.  high,  rather  slender;  blades,  small,  dark  green  or  purple;  tassel, 
long,  drooping,  much-branched;  suckers,  few,  reaching  only  about  half  the  size  of  the 
parent  stalk.  Ear,  2  to  3  ft.  from  the  ground,  tapering,  dull  white  to  purplish,  4.5  to  6 
in.  long,  1.2  to  1.5  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .75  to  .9  in.  thick;  kernels,  rounded  over  the 
butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows,  regular  or  irregular,  16  to  20.  Kernel,  rather  slender,  .15 
in.  broad,  .25  to  .3  in.  deep,  sharp-pointed;  the  spines  usually  erect.  A  single  plat  with 
90  per  cent,  of  a  stand  yielded  at  the  rate  of  20  bu.  per  acre.  One  plat  with  94  per 
cent,  of  a  stand  yielded  in  1889  at  the  rate  of  26.7  bu.  per  acre.  The  ears  and  kernels 
are  below  medium  size  and  the  ears  are  very  rough.  It  would  not  be  profitable  to  grow 
here.  It  was  ripe  enough  to  cut  in  118  days  from  planting. 

RICE  VARIETY — Medium  maturing — White. 

Monarch  rice;  Suffern,  Iowa  Seed  Co. 

Stalk,  "]l/2  to  8^  ft.  high;  joints,  medium  or  rather  short,  leafy;  tassel,  with  few 
branches,  long,  slender,  drooping;  suckers,  many,  reaching  nearly  the  size  of  the  parent 
stalk;  husk  blades,  very  small.  Ear,  3^  to  5  ft.  from  the  ground,  dull  white,  with  a 


1891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    POP    CORN,   1890.  445 

white  cob,  tapering,  6.5  to  8  in.  long,  1.25  to  1.5  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .65  to 
.85  in.  thick;  kernels,  rounded  over  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows,  14  to  18,  usually 
regular;  pairs  of  rows,  not  distinct.  Kernel,  .2  to  .25  in.  broad,  .3  to  .35  in.  deep, 
pointed.  There  were  two  plats  of  this  variety  with  92  and  66  per  cent,  of  a  stand, 
respectively,  which  yielded  at  the  rate- of  46.1  and  27  bu.  per  acre.  A  single  plat  of  the 
same  kind  with  96  per  cent,  of  a  stand  yielded  in  1889  at  the  rate  of  78.7  bu.  per  acre. 
The  ears  are  of  good  size  and  shape  with  large  kernels,  but  are  very  rough.  It  was  ripe 
enough  to  cut  in  135  days  from  planting. 

White  rice;  Harris,  Iowa  Seed  Co.  Snowball;  Landreth,  Salzer.  Wisconsin  pro- 
lific; H.  G.  Faust. 

Stalk,  7  to  8  ft.  high,  rather  short-jointed,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  long,  slender, 
with  few  branches,  drooping;  suckers,  many,  growing  to  about  half  the  size  of  the 
parent  stalk;  very  few  husk  blades.  Ear,  3  to  5  ft.  from  the  ground,  strongly  tapering, 
dull  white,  with  a  white  cob,  5  to  7  in.  long,  1.3  to  1.75  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .65  to  .8 
in.  thick;  kernels,  rounded  over  the  butt  of  the  ear  and  usually  filling  out  the  tips;  rows 
of  kernels,  14  to  20,  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  not  very  distinct.  Kernel,  pointed,  the  tip 
being  continued  into  a  spine  which  is  either  depressed  or  nearly  erect,  .15  to  .2  in.  wide, 
•3  to  -35  m-  deep.  Five  plats  of  this  variety,  with  47,  58,  71,  79,  and  42  per  cent,  of 
a  full  stand,  respectively,  produced  at  the  rate  of  25.3,  19.1,  31.2,  29.5,  and  15.7  bu.  per 
acre.  The  corn  was  ripe  enough  to  cut  in  132  days  from  planting.  A  single  plat 
yielded  in  1889  at  the  rate  of  86.3  bu.  per  acre.  This  differs  from  monarch  rice  in  hav- 
ing a  shorter  ear  with  a  greater  number  of  rows  of  kernels,  and  the  kernels  more  slender. 

Silver  lact;  Wilson,  of  which  only  two  kernels  grew  out  of  the  200  that  were 
planted,  seems  to  be  the  same  as  white  rice. 

Egyptian;  Gregory. 

Stalk,  7^  to  9  ft.  high,  rather  slender,  pale  green;  tassel,  long,  slender,  with  few 
branches,  drooping;  suckers,  many,  reaching  nearly  the  full  size  of  the  parent  stalks.  Ears,  4 
to  4^  ft.  from  the  ground,  tapering,  clear  white,  with  white  cob,  6.5  to  7.25  in.  long,  1.2 
to  1.5  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .7  to  .8  in.  thick;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled; 
rows  of  kernels,  14  to  18,  regular.  Kernel,  .2  in.  wide,  .3  to  .4  in.  deep,  pointed.  A 
single  plat  of  this  variety  with  79  per  cent,  of  a  full  stand  gave  a  yield  of  30^  Ib.  of 
ears,  or  at  the  rate  of  34.3  bu.  per  acre.  The  ears  are  of  good  size  and  are  smoother 
than  the  other  varieties  of  rice  corn.  Kernel,  very  large.  It  differs  from  monarch  rice 
and  white  rice  in  its  lighter  color,  and  is  intermediate  between  them  in  size.  It  was  ripe 
enough  to  cut  in  132  days  from  planting. 

RICE  VARIETY— AfaA'lHH  maturing—  Colored,  not  yellow. 

,  f  age's  striped  rice;  Iowa  Seed  Co. 

Stalk,  6^  to  7  ft.  high,  slender;  joints,  long;  blades,  dark  green;  tassel,  long,  slen- 
der, drooping,  with  but  few  branches;  suckers,  few,  small;  husk  blades,  small.  Ear,  2 
to  3  ft.  from  the  ground,  tapering  or  nearly  cylindrical,  usually  white  and  red  striped, 
with  speckled  cobs,  4.5  to  6.5  in.  long,  1.2  to  1.5  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .5  to  .75  in.  thick? 
kernels,  even  or  rounded  at  the  butt;  tip,  well-filled;  rows,  regular,  12  to  16.  Kernel, 
.15  to  .25  in.  broad,  .3  to  .4  in.  deep,  sharp-pointed;  spines,  usually  depressed.  A 
single  plat  with  68  per  cent,  of  a  stand  yielded  133^  Ib.  of  ears,  or  at  the  rate  of  15.5  bu. 
per  acre.  The  ears  are  below  and  the  kernels  above  the  average  size.  The  ears  are 
very  rough.  It  was  ripe  enough  to  cut  in  132  days  from  planting. 

RICE  VARIETY— Late  maturing— White. 

California;  Wilson. 

Stalk,  4  to  5  ft.  high,  heavy,  short-jointed,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  short  stiff, 
much -branched,  bunchy;  suckers,  many,  about  half  the  size  of  the  parent  stalk.  Ear, 


446  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

2  to  3  ft.  from  the  ground,  nearly  cylindrical,  creamy  white,  with  a  white  cob,  2^  to  3^ 
in.  long,  I  to  1.15  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .5  to  .6  in.  thick;  kernels  well  rounded  over  the 
butt;  tip,  perfectly  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  usually  so  irregular  as  to  be  indistinguishable. 
Kernel,  very  slender,  .1  to  .15  in.  broad,  .3  to  .35  in.  long,  pointed;  the  spine,  usually 
depressed.  A  single  plat  with  12  per  cent,  of  a  stand  yielded  2^  Ib.  of  ears,  or  at  the 
rate  of  2.8  bu.  per  acre.  The  ears  and  kernels  are  both  very  small.  It  pops  well  and  is 
of  very  good  quality.  This  was  the  latest  variety  of  pop  corn  grown  this  season,  being 
ripe  enough  to  cut  in  146  days  from  planting. 

PEARL  VARIETV— Early  maturing— White. 

Nonpareil;  Gregory. 

Stalk,  5  t°  6  ft.  high,  slender,  not  very  leafy,  dark  green;  tassels,  long,  with  few 
branches,  drooping;  suckers,  few,  small;  husk  blades,  small.  Ear,  i^  to  2  ft.  from  the 
ground,  cylindrical,  sometimes  enlarged  at  the  butt,  dull  white,  with  a  white  cob,  6  to 
8^  in.  long,  .9  to  i.i  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .45  to  .6  in.  thick;  kernels,  barely  even  at 
the  butt;  tip  of  ear,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  8,  very  regular;  pairs  of  rows,  separated 
at  the  butt.  Kernel,  flattened  across  the  top,  .25  in.  broad,  .2  in  deep.  A  plat  of  this 
variety  with  67  per  cent,  of  a  full  stand,  yielded  16  Ib.  of  corn,  or  at  the  rate  of  18  bu. 
per  acre.  The  ears  are  long,  slender,  smooth,  and  the  corn  pops  well.  It  is  entirely 
distinct  from  any  other  variety  of  pop-corn  in  having  only  8  rows  of  kernels  to  the  ear. 
It  was  ripe  enough  to  cut  in  118  days  from  planting. 

PEARL  VARIETIES — Medium  maturing — White. 

Common  white;  Landreth. 

Stalk,  10  to  12  ft.  high,  rather  slender,  short-jointed;  blades,  large,  dark  green; 
tassel,  short,  much-branched,  drooping;  suckers,  many,  reaching  nearly  the  full  size  of 
the  parent  stalk.  Ear,  from  5  to  7  ft.  abDve  the  ground,  cylindrical,  white,  with  a  white 
cob,  6  to  8  in.  long,  i.i  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter;  cob  .65  to  .85  in.  thick;  kernels,  even  or 
only  slightly  rounded  past  the  butt;  tip,  fairly  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  12  tp  16,  very  reg- 
ular. Kernel,  .25  in.  broad,  .25  in.  deep,  rounded  over  the  top,  smooth.  This  variety 
yields  well.  One  plat  with  78  per  cent,  of  a  full  stand,  yielded  this  year  45^  Ib.  of  ears, 
or  at  the  rate  of  50.9  bu.  per  acre.  A  plat  of  the  same  variety  in  1889  with  gt  per  cent, 
of  a  stand  yielded  at  the  rate  of  98.3  bu.  per  acre.  It  pops  well;  the  ear  is  above 
medium  size,  very  smoDth  though  slender;  kernels  of  medium  size.  It  was  ripe  enough 
to  cut  in  139  days  from  planting. 

Pearl;  Dreer. 

Stalk,  7  to  8%  ft.  high,  rather  large;  blades,  large,  dark  green;  tassel,  long,  with 
few  branches,  drooping;  suckers,  many,  reaching  about  three-fourths  the  size  of  the 
parent  stalk.  Ear,  3.5  to  4  5  ft.  from  the  ground,  nearly  cylindrical,  clear  white,  with  a 
white  cob,  6  to  8  in.  long,  I  to  1.4  in.  in  diameter;  cob  .55  to  .65  in.  through;  kernels, 
even  at  the  butt;  tip,  usually  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  10  to  14,  regular.  Kernel,  .2 
in.  broad,  .25  in.  deep,  very  smooth,  somewhat  flattened  over  the  top.  One  plat  with  88 
per  cent,  of  a  full  stand  yielded  41  Ib.  of  ears,  or  at  the  rate  of  46. 1  bu.  per  acre.  The  ears 
are  long,  slender  and  smooth.  It  differs  from  the  com>iun  white  in  having  longer  and 
more  slender  ears  and  in  making  a  much  smaller  growth  of  stalk.  It  was  rips  enough  to 
cut  in  125  days  from  planting. 

Maple  Dale  prolific;  Wilson. 

Stalk,  6  to  8  ft.  high,  rather  heavy,  short-jointed,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  slender, 
with  few  branches,  drooping;  suckers,  many,  reaching  about  three-fourths  the  size  of  the 
parent  stalk.  Ear,  3  to  4^  ft.  from  the  ground,  nearly  cylindrical,  dull  white,  with  a 
white  cob,  5  to  6.5  in.  long,  i.i  to  1.5  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .6  to  .7  in.  thick;  kernels, 
rounded  over  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  12  to  14,  regular.  Kernel,  .2  to 
-.25  in.  broad,  .25  to  .3  in.  deep.  A  single  plat  with  23  per  cent,  of  a  stand  yielded  8^ 


1891.]  EXPERIMENTS    WITH    POP   CORN,   1890.  447 

Ib.  of  ears,  or  at  the  rate  of  9.8  bu.  per  acre.  This  variety  is  smaller  and  apparently  no 
more  prolific  than  the  common  white  or  pearl.  Its  chief  attraction  is  in  the  name.  It 
was  ripe  enough  to  be  cut  in  139  days  from  planting. 

Silver  lace;  Burpee. 

Stalk,  6  to  7  ft.  high,  short-jointed,  leafy,  dark  green;  tassel,  much-branched,  slender, 
drooping;  suckers,  many,  reaching  nearly  the  full  size  of  the  parent  stalk.  Ear,  3  to  4 
ft.  from  the  ground,  tapering,  dull  white,  with  a  white  cob,  4.5  to  6  in.  long,  I  to  1.25  in. 
in  diameter;  cob,  .55  to  .75  in.  through;  kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip,  poorly  filled; 
rows  of  kernels,  14  to  18,  regular  or  irregular.  Kernel,  .15  to  .2  in.  broad,  .2  to  .25  in. 
deep,  smooth.  A  single  plat  with  n  per  cent,  of  a  full  stand  yielded  3  Ib.  of  ears  or  at 
the  rate  of  3.4  bu.  per  acre.  The  ears  are  rather  small  and  all  were  poorly  filled.  Its- 
only  merit  seems  to  be  that  it  is  different  from  the  other  varieties.  It  was  ripe  enough 
to  cut  in  125  days  from  planting. 

PEARL  VARIETY — Early  Maturing  —Yellow. 

Golden  Tom  Thumb;   Wilson,  Burpee. 

Stalk,  2  to  3  ft.  high,  slender,  blades  small;  tassel,  short,  stiff,  few  or  no  branches; 
no  suckers;  husk  blades,  very  small.  Ear,  6  to  12  in.  from  the  ground,  yellow,  with  a 
white  cob  2.25  to  3.25  in.  long,  .75  to  .9  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .5  to  .6  in.  in  diam- 
eter; kernels,  even  at  the  butt;  tip  well  filled,  but  the  cob,  poorly  filled  as  a  whole;  rows 
of  kernels,  8  to  12,  very  irregular.  Kerne),  smooth,  .15  to  .2  in.  broad,  .2  10.25  in-  l°ng. 

This  small  corn  is  not  worth  growing,  except  as  a  curiosity.  It  ripens  earlier  than  any 
other  variety,  being  ripe  enough  to  cut  in  97  days  from  planting.  Two  plats  with  22 
and  51  per  cent,  of  a  stand,  respectively,  gave  yields  of  2. 8  and  3.9  bu.  per  acre. 

PEARL  VARIETIES — Medium  Maturing — Yellow. 

Queen 's  golden  •    Rawson,  Station. 

Stalk,  7  to  8  ft.  high,  rather  heavy;  joints,  medium  length,  leafy;  tassel,  slender} 
much  branched,  drooping;  suckers,  few,  small;  husk  blades,  very  small.  Ear, 
4  to  4^  ft.  from  the  ground,  light,  or  lemon  yellow,  with  a  white  cob,  tapering,  6^  to  8^- 
in.  long,  1.25  to  1.55  in.  in  diameter;  cob,  .7^  to  .9  in.  thick;  kernels,  rounded  over  the 
butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  12  to  16,  regular.  Kernel,  we  11  rounded  over  the 
top,  .25  to  .3  in.  broad,  .3  to  .35  in.  deep,  smooth,  slightly  inclin  ed  to  dent,  as  shown  by 
the  texture  which  is  not  of  a  flinty  character  throughout.  This  variety  produces  a  large 
yield;  2  plats  with  a  full  stand  gave  an  average  yield  in  1889  of  112. 1  bu.  per  acre.  Twa 
plats  with  52  and  17  percent,  of  stand,  respectively,  gave  yields  in  1890  of  3 1.8  andgbu.  per 
acre.  The  ears.are  large,  smooth,  and  of  good  shape.  It  pops  well,  has  a  yellowish  color 
when  popped,  and  has  the  taste  peculiar  to  yellow  corn.  It  was  ripe  enough  to  be  cut 
in  132  days  from  planting. 

Dwarf  golden;  Gregory. 

Stalk,  7  to  8)4  ft-  high,  slender,  rather  long-jointed,  dark  green;  tassel,  short,  stiff 
many  branches;  suckers,  few,  small.  Ear,  12  to  18  in.  from  the  ground,  tapering,  orange 
yellow,  with  a  white  cob,  6  to  8  in.  long,  1.2  to  1.6  in.  thick;  cob,  .7  to  .9  in.  thick  J 
kernels,  even  or  rounded  over  the  butt;  tip,  well  filled;  rows  of  kernels,  very  regular; 
pairs  of  rows,  indistinct.  Kernel,  short,  smooth,  .25  to  .3  in.  broad,  .3  to  .35  in.  deep, 
slightly  inclined  to  dent.  This  variety  yields  well;  a  single  plat  with  76  per  cent,  of  a 
full  stand  yielded  at  the  rate  of  52.6  bu.  per  acre;  in  other  words,  a  plat  of  1-80  of  an 
acre  yielded  46^  Ib.  ear  corn.  The  ears  are  of  large  size  and  good  shape,  with  very 
large  kernels.  It  pops  well,  retaining  a  yellowish  color  when  popped,  and  has  the  laste 
peculiar  to  yellow  corn.  It  differs  from  queen1  s  golden  in  the  color  being  darker  and  in 
having  the  ears  borne  much  lower  on  the  stalk.  It  was  ripe  enough  to  cut  in  132  days- 
from  planting. 

THOMAS  J.  BI-RRILL,  PH.  D.,  Horticulturist  and  Botanist. 

GEO.  \V.  McCi.rER,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Horticulturist. 


448  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

GROWTH  AND  INCREASE  OF  DRY  MATTER  IN  CORN. 

Experiment  No.  po. 

The  following  preliminary  report  is  made  of  a  series  of  observations 
on  the  rate  of  growth  of  field  corn,  as  determined  by  measurements  and 
by  ascertaining  the  quantity  of  dry  matter  at  different  dates.  The  design 
is  to  attempt  to  determine  by  a  series  of  such  observations  the  relations  be- 
tween growth,  both  of  the  whole  plant,  and  of  its  different  constituents, 
and  meteorological  conditions;  and  also  to  help  to  determine  the  stage  of 
growth  at  which  the  plant  has  the  greatest  food  value. 

The  plan  adopted  is  to  cut,  to  measure,  and  to  examine  by  chemical 
analysis  at  stated  intervals  during  the  season  of  growth,  the  stalks  of  du- 
plicate or  triplicate  hills  grown  under  conditions  as  nearly  similar  as  pos- 
sible. The  average  results  of  the  examination  of  six  or  nine  stalks  will 
usually  give  a  fairly  correct  basis  for  comparison.  Work  of  this  nature 
has  been  done  during  1889  and  1890,  under  very  similar  conditions  of  soil, 
cultivation,  time  of  planting,  etc.,  but  with  different  varieties. 

The  condensed  table  on  p.  449  shows  that  corn  planted  the  first  week 
of  May  reached  its  maximum  height  (about  10  ft.)  August  5th  in  1889,  and 
July  2ist  in  1890.  In  each  year  a  growth  of  25  in.  was  made  in  seven 
days;  July  8th  to  isth  in  1889,  and  June  23d  to  3oth  in  1890.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  a  growth  of  48  in.  was  made  in  14  days,  from  June  i6th  to  June 
3oth.  With  the  average  temperature  nearly  the  same,  but  with  two  inches 
greater  rainfall  in  May,  1889,  than  in  May,  1890,  the  corn  made  much  less 
growth  during  the  month  in  the  former  year.  With  the  average  tempera- 
ture nine  degrees  lower  and  the  rain-fall  much  greater  in  June,  1889,  than 
in  June,  1890,  the  corn  had  not  half  the  height  at  the  end  of  the  month  in 
the  former  that  it  had  in  the  latter  year.  With  the  average  temperature 
nearly  the  same,  but  with  a  much  greater  rain-fall  in  July,  1889,  than^  in 
July,  1890,  the  growth  in  the  latter  year  was  much  more  rapid. 

The  results  each  year  show  that  the  quantity  of  solid  or  dry  matter 
in  the  corn  plant  is  relatively  very  small  in  the  early  stages  of  its  growth. 
When  the  corn  had  reached  half  its  total  height  it  had  but  about  seven 
per  cent,  and  when  in  full  tassel  about  36  per  cent,  of  its  maximum  weight 
of  dry  matter.  When  the  kernels  were  in  the  soft  milk  stage,  the  plants 
contained  about  62  per  cent,  of  the  maximum  weight  of  dry  matter  in  1889, 
and  about  78  per  cent,  in  1890.  In  1889,  there  was  a  continuous  increase 
of  weight,  with  but  a  single  exception,  until  the  corn  was  ripe.  In  1890, 
there  was  greater  variation,  but  the  greatest  weight  was  at  the  final  cut- 
ting, when  the  corn  was  thoroughly  ripe.  Some  of  the  variations  near  the 
close  of  the  season  are  partly  explained  by  the  dropping  of  the  dried 
leaves  and  tassels. 

In  Experiment  No.  77,  Corn-Fodder,  Effect  of  Ripeness,  an  early  ma- 
turing variety  of  dent  corn  was  planted  May  5,  1890.  One  plat  was  cut 
when  in  the  milk  or  roasting-ear  stage;  one  when  the  kernels  were  dented 
and  fairly  hard;  and  one  when  the  corn  was  fully  ripe.  The  weights  for 


<;kOWTH  AND   INCREASE  OF  DRY  MATTER  IN  CORN. 


449 


equal  plats  when  thoroughly  field-cured  were  1,328,  1,710,  and  1,810  Ib. 
The  weights  of  the  ear  corn  from  three  plats,  each  one-tenth  of  an  acre, 
were  302.50,  425.75,  and  475.25  Ib.  The  weights  were  determined  of  sev- 
eral samples  of  100  kernels  each  from  the  corn  on  these  three  plats,  and 
found  to  be  19,  29,  and  31  grams  per  100  kernels. 

The  indications  of  these  trials  clearly  are  that,  so  far  as  quantity  of 
dry  matter  is  concerned,  there  is  a  great  loss  in  cutting  corn  before  it  is 
fairly  matured,  whether  it  is  designed  for  field-cured  fodder  or  for  ensilage; 

TABLE  SHOWING  AVERAGE  HEIGHT  AND  GRAMS  OF  DRY  MATTER  OF  CORN  PLANTS 
CUT  AT  DATES  AND  STAGES  OF  GROWTH  GIVEN. 


Date  of  cut- 
ling. 

Av.  height  of 
stalk,  in. 

Grams 
dry  mat- 
ter per 
hill. 

Stage  of  growth. 

To  top 
of  leal. 

To  top 
of  tas- 
sel. 

June   10  

7.6 

2^48 

10.  II 

33-84 
75-45 
197.98 
322.90 
408.07 
589.09 
681.54 
72450 
94952 
906.21 

1,034-55 
1,176 

"     17  
"     25  
July     i  
"      8  
"    15---   • 

"      22...     . 
"      30...     • 

Aug.     5...   . 

"       12.     . 

",      l%-     • 
"      26...     . 

Sept.    2.  .  .    . 

"       10...     . 

"     16.  ..   . 

14.7 
26.7 

42-5 

533 
78.2 
92 
103-5 

121.  8 

110.5 
110.3 
1  10.8 
106  9 
1  08 
106.3 

75-2 
100.8 
1  20 
in.  6 
109.8 
108.1 

103-5 
108 
106 

' 

Tassels  showing. 
All  in  tassel,  bloom,  and  silk. 

Silk  dead  or  partly  dead. 
Soft  milk  stage. 
Milk  stage  or  past. 
Mostly  glazed. 
Milk  stage  to  ripe. 
Ripe,  except  one  ear. 

1890. 


June     2.    ... 

14.7 

2 

"       o.    . 

27 

8.4C 

••  16.:::: 

38.3 

30  17 

1  23.  .. 

J"-J 
6l.3 

06.84 

'    30.   . 

866 

1  74..  A 

Tu  v      7. 

08 

4CX  8^ 

'     14  

*      21  

y 
1  10.6 

118.6 

102.6 
117 

502.7 
687.47 

In  tassel. 

<      28  

114  6 

III 

868  86 

Aui7.      A.     . 

IOQ  3 

HO  7 

892  93 

"       II  

106.3 

IOQ.  3 

878.83 

"     18  
"     25  
Sept.    2  

"      8.    .. 
"     15  

"      22  

"3-3 
115.6 
113.6 

112.  6 

1  06 
1  14. 

iwy.j 

106 

118.3 

"3-3 
1  10.  6 

104 
117.  6 

1,033-6 
1,180.45 
*M55- 

1,264.33 

*  i,  032.  4 
i  046  i 

Milk  stage. 
Milk  stage. 
Kernels,  dented;  husks,  partly  dry; 
dry. 
Ears,    dented    except    one;    husks 
leaves,  one-half  dry. 
Nearly  or  entirely  ripe. 

bottom  leaves, 
>,    mostly   dry; 

"      30... 

112 

in.-? 

1,327 

*Field  notes  show  that  September  2d,  the  stalks  in  one  hill  had  been  blown  down 
and  the  ears  had  not  developed,  and  that  September  I5th,  one  stalk  had  been  broken  off 
and  two  others  were  of  less  than  normal  size. 


450  BULLETIN  NO.  13.  [February, 

that  to  cut  it  for  soiling  or  summer  feeding,  when  it  is  in  tassel  even,  is  to 
lose  more  than  half  its  possible  food  supply;  that  to  cut  it  when  the  ker- 
nels are  in  the  soft  milk  stage  causes  a  loss  of  one-fourth  or  more  of  the 
possible  yield  of  dry  matter;  that  the  dry  matter  of  the  corn  kernels  in- 
creases relatively  more  than  that  of  the  stalks  in  the  later  periods  of  growth. 

Other  considerations  will  greatly  affect  the  decision  as  to  the  best 
time  for  cutting.  This  preliminary  report  does  not  take  account  of  the 
digestibility  or  palatability  of  the  fodder  at  different  stages  of  maturity, 
nor  of  the  greater  or  less  degree  of  loss  in  curing  ox  from  exposure,  as 
affected  by  cutting  at  earlier  or  later  stages.  In  case  wet  weather  follows 
the  cutting,  the  immature  corn  would  probably  be  most  injured.  In  some 
years  corn  cut  when  in  the  milk  stage  and  left  in  the  field  in  ordinary 
sized  shocks  would  become  unfit  for  food.  On  the  other  hand  the  longer 
the  corn  is  left  uncut  the  greater  the  danger  of  injury  from  storms  or  from 
the  loss  of  leaves,  etc.  When  fed  fresh,  the  immature  corn  is  usually  very 
palatable — much  more  so  than  when  dried.  In  some  cases,  at  least,  the 
earlier  cut  corn-fodder  is  less  palatable  when  dried  than  is  that  cut  when 
more  mature. 

In  1889,  the  variety  of  corn  used  was  Edmonds,  an  early  maturing 
yellow  dent  variety.  It  was  planted  May  4th,  in  rows  3  ft.  8  in.  apart 
each  way.  Fifteen  pairs  of  hills  were  selected  and  thinned  to  three  stalks 
each  June  loth.  The  plants  were  quite  uniform  throughout  the  plat. 
Two  hills  were  cut  close  to  the  ground  at  the  dates  given  in  table  on  page 
449  and  the  averages  in  height  and  weight  are  given. 

In  1890,  Burr's  white,  a  medium  maturing  variety,  was  planted  May 
5th  in  rows  as  in  1889.  Twenty-one  sets  of  three  hills  each  were  selected 
as  nearly  alike  as  possible  and  thinned  to  three  stalks  each  June  2d. 
These  hills  were  cut  at  dates  specified  in  the  table  on  p.  449,  which  gives 
the  average  of  the  results. 

The  field  work  of  this  experiment  during  1889  and  1890  was  under 
the  direct  charge  of  Professor  T.  F.  Hunt,  now  of  the  State  College  and 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  of  Pennsylvania. 

G.  E.  MORROW,  A.  M.,  Agriculturist. 


WEIGHT  OF  EAR  CORN  PER  BUSHEL  OF  SHELLED  CORN. 

Several  inquiries  have  been  received  as  to  the  number  of  pounds  of  ear 
corn  required  to  make  a  bushel,  56  lb.,  of  shelled  corn  at  different  seasons 
of  the  year,  the  implication  or  direct  statement  being  that  the  common  prac- 
tice of  requiring  70  lb.  is,  this  season,  more  to  the  interest  of  the  buyer  than 
of  the  seller.  The  percentage  of  water  in  corn  in  central  Illinois  when 


1891.]          EAR  CORN  PER  BUSHEL  OF  SHELLED  CORN.  451 

husked  in  the  autumn  of  1890  was  considerably  less  than  in  the  years  im- 
mediately preceding.  We  have  found  70  Ib.  for  the  early;  73  for  the 
medium;  and  78  for  the  late  maturing  varieties  tested  at  this  Station,  was 
sufficient  to  produce  a  bushel  of  air-dry  corn  at  the  last  of  October. 

Tests  have  been  made  Feb.  14,  1891,  in  which  a  trifle  over  65  Ib.  of 
Murdock,  an  early  maturing;  66^4  Ib.  of  Learning;  less  than  67  Ib. 
of  Burr's  white;  and  a  little  over  66  Ib.  of  mixed  varieties  of  yellow  dent 
made  56  Ib.  of  shelled  corn.  The  ears  were  not  especially  selected.  The 
corn  was  taken  from  the  crib  in  three  cases  and  from  shocked  corn  in  the 
fourth.  Probably  a  little  more  would  be  required  if  large  quantities  of 
either  variety  tested  were  shelled  by  large  power-shellers.  The  indica- 
tions are  clearly  that  70  Ib.  is  more  than  is  necessary  to  make  a  bushel 
of  shelled  corn  this  season  in  central  Illinois. 

When  thoroughly  air-dry,  12  Ib.  of  cob  per  bu.  or  68  Ib.  of  good 
ear  corn  for  56  Ib.  of  shelled  corn  would  seem  a  maximum  for  any  variety 
suitable  to  be  grown  in  this  latitude.  When  the  ears  have  been  carefully 
selected,  as  in  selecting  corn  for  seed,  less  than  this  should  be  sufficient. 
When  delivered  to  the  buyer  in  the  ear,  there  are  often  many  partly  shelled 
ears,  inferior  ears,  some  dirt,  etc. 

No  fixed  rule  can  be  given  for  determining  the  proper  weight  of  ear 
corn  for  a  bushel  of  shelled  corn  soon  after  husking.  The  per  cent,  of 
moisture  in  both  cob^and  kernel  varies  greatly  in  different  sea'sons  and  in 
different  varieties. 

G.  E.  MORROW,  A.  M.,  Agriculturist. 


All  communications  intended  for  the  Station  should  be  addressed, 
not  to  any  person,  but  to  the 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION,  CHAMPAIGN,  ILLINOIS. 

The  bulletins  of    the   Experiment  Station  will  be  sent  free. of  all 
charges  to  persons  engaged  in  farming  who  may  request  that  they  be  sent. 

SELIM  H.  PEABODY, 

President  Board  of  Direction. 


452  BULLETIN   NO.  13.  [February,  1891. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS. 
ALEXANDER   McLEAN,    Macomb,    President. 

JOSEPH  W.    FIFER,    Governor  of  Illinois. 
LAFAYETTE  FUNK,  Shirley,  President  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

HENRY   RAAB,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

S.  M.  MILLARD,  Highland  Park.  GEORGE   R.  SHAWHAN,  Urbana.. 

CHARLES  BENNETT,  Mattoon.  W.  W.  CLEMENS,  Marion 

OLIVER  A.  BARKER,  Carbondale.  FRANCIS  M.    McKAY,   Chicago. 

EMORY  COBB,  Kankakee.  SAMUEL  A.  BULLARD,   Springfield., 

BOARD  OF  DIRECTION  OF  THE  EXPERIMENT  STATION, 

SELIM  H,  PEABODY,  LL.  D.,  Champaign,  Regent  of  the  University,  President. 

E.  E.  CHESTER,  Champaign,  of  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

HENRY  M.  DUNLAP,  Savoy,  of  State  Horticultural  Society. 

H.  B.  GURLER,  DeKalb,  of  State  Dairymen's  Association, 

EMORY  COBB,  Kankakee,  Trustee  of  the  University. 

CHARLES  BENNETT,  Mattoon,  Trustee  of  the  University. 

GEORGE   S.  HASKELL,  Rockford,  Trustee  of  the  University. 

GEORGE   E.    MORROW,  A.  M.,  Champaign,  Professor  of  Agriculture. 

THOMAS  J.  BURRILL,  Ph.  D.,  Urbana,  Professor  of  Botany  and  Horticulture.. 

THE  STATION  STAFF. 

GEORGE  E.  MORROW,  A.  M.,  Agriculturist. 

THOMAS  J.  BURRILL,  Ph.  D.,  Horticulturist  and  Botanist. 

STEPHEN  A.  FORBES,  Ph.    D.,  Consulting  Entomologist. 

DONALD  McINTOSH,  V.  S.,  Veterinarian. 

*THOMAS  F.  HUNT,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 

GEORGE  W.  McCLUER,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Horticulturist. 

EDWARD  H.  FARRINGTON,  M.  S.,  Assistant  Chemist. 

GEORGE  P.  CLINTON,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Botanist. 

E.  K.  NELSON,  Second  Assistant  Chemist. 
WILLIAM  L.  PILLSBURY,  A.  M.,  Champaign,  Secretary. 


*Resigned  January  15,  1891. 


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